Hit Me Baby, One More Time!
by Little Writer Babe
Summary: All Maggie wants is to move forward with Alex and plan their wedding. Unfortunately, it looks like maybe the couple are not as compatible as they once thought. When Kara gets herself into an impossible situation, can the couple repair their relationship AND help the super get back to herself? Or will this current storm be more than their relationship can weather?
1. The Hits Just Keep Coming

Maggie slapped her laptop shut in frustration. Her head was pounding, her eyes were burning and her emotions were on a razor's edge. The previous week had started out blissful and ended on the most hellish of notes. Her father had come, attempted to reconcile and then promptly fallen back into his old ways.

It hurt.

It had hurt _so damn much_.

But Alex had been there; holding her, consoling her, telling her how _perfect_ she was, how much she loved her.

And then the other shoe had dropped...

Because Alex ... sweet, badass, loveable Alex... had assumed Maggie's lack of desire for children had stemmed from her broken childhood.

It hadn't.

"You're all the family I need." The tiny detective had proudly declared.

She'd told Alex that and the younger woman had agreed, barely concealing her disappointment. In the days since that revelation, things had been tense between the couple and Maggie had barely slept, unsure where they currently stood.

Because Alex may have been all that Maggie needed, but it seemed as if the agent needed _more_.

More than _just_ Maggie.

More than just this crazy, amazing, beautiful whirlwind of a romance.

She knew Alex _wanted_ it be enough, wanted her to be _enough_. But it wasn't just about what _Alex needed_ ; it was also that so many others seemed to _need_ the agent in return.

James, Winn, J'onn, even surprisingly Lena Luthor, and then there was Kara.

 _Of course,_ Kara.

The blonde alien had needed Alex ever since she was fourteen and it seemed to be a need that was ever steadily growing.

To add a child to that?

Maggie quickly felt her position as Alex's top priority slipping away and she couldn't help but selfishly cling to it; couldn't bear the thought of sharing Alex more than she already did and it made her feel petty and ironically, _childish_.

Her phone buzzed loudly across her desk and she quickly scooped it up, the vibrations doing nothing for her growing headache. Alex's face flashed across her screen, bright and happy, much different than it had looked in the past few days.

"Hey you." She greeted as soon as Maggie picked up. "I just walked in. You ready for lunch?"

Ever dependable, Alex had arrived at exactly 1:15pm to pick Maggie up for lunch as she did every Tuesday that the world wasn't in danger. Maggie allowed herself a small smile. At least _some_ things hadn't changed.

"Yeah. Give me like 5 minutes?"

"I'll give you six!" Alex joked and Maggie could feel her smile growing ever wider.

"Nerd." She scoffed before adding. "Be right down. I love you."

"You too. _Forever_."

Maggie hurriedly grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair and tidied up her desk before taking the stairs two at a time until she reached the main floor. Her face immediately fell when she rounded the corner because there stood her fiancée holding her worst fear.

 **A baby.**

Where the hell had Alex gotten a baby in the last five minutes?!

"Babe!" Alex waved her over with one hand, the other cradling the infant protectively. "Henderson brought her new baby in. Isn't he a doll?"

Maggie schooled her face back into what she hoped was a smile as she approached the women. She gave Henderson, the stations front desk sergeant, a somewhat stiff hug before moving closer to Alex who was completely entranced with the cooing bundle in her arms. The agent bounced lightly on her toes, making funny faces at the infant and holding him close.

"Yeah." She agreed half-heartedly. "Really cute. What's his name?"

"Alexander!" Her fiancée answered and if Maggie had been drinking something she'd have spit it out at that moment!

"Serious- I, uh, I mean what a coincidence, huh?"

Alex simply nodded as she continued to cuddle with her apparent namesake. Maggie thought she might pull her hair out if she didn't get Alex out of there immediately. She tried not to fixate on the fact that her fiancée looked completely at home and the infant content to let her cuddle him, smiling an adorable toothless smile as she did.

"Babe, I just remembered that I have some reports to finish up so we kinda have to get to lunch so I can get back."

"Oh, yeah. Of course." Alex replied apologetically as she handed the infant back. "Thanks for letting me hog him for a few minutes." She smiled genuinely at Henderson as she and Maggie headed for the door.

"Anytime!" Henderson replied. "And if you're ever looking to babysit, just give me a call." Alex agreed with a goofy smile and Maggie nearly groaned at her bad luck.

* * *

"Everything okay, babe?"

Maggie snapped out of her distracted haze to see Alex watching her with concerned eyes over the rim of her milkshake. She didn't want to lie but she also didn't want to reignite their current "fight, not a fight".

"Just this case I'm working on… it's got my head a little messed up." She replied, hoping Alex couldn't detect the barely concealed lie. The redhead gave her a close-lipped smile in return and Maggie _knew_ Alex could see through her.

"Anything I can do to help?" She asked, knowing she couldn't possibly assist on an imaginary case.

"I'm sure you have more important things to do, Ally." She deflected, turning her gaze back to her salad.

"Not if you really need my help."

"I don't." Maggie replied a little too sharply. "I'm sorry. I've just been on edge lately."

"Yeah, I noticed…" Alex muttered as the two fell into a tense silence. Both women jumped slightly when the agent's phone rang. She picked up after the second ring, voice filled with annoyance. "Danvers."

Maggie watched as the frown Alex was currently wearing deepened ever further, followed by the telltale Danvers "crinkle". The redhead exchanged a few curt replies with the person on the other hand before hanging up and hastily shrugging her jacket on as she stood.

"I have to go."

Maggie stood too; concern replacing whatever else was brewing between the two. "Everything, okay?"

"No. No, it's _not_ okay. Something's wrong with Kara." Alex was moving towards the door even as she filled Maggie in. "There was some kind of incident and J'onn refuses to tell me what's wrong until I get there."

"I'm coming with you." Maggie insisted as Alex turned to eye her skeptically.

"I thought you had reports to finish?"

" _Ally_ ," Maggie sighed trying not to get upset because really she had ruined their lunch long before the call came in. "Babe, this is about _our_ _family_. Please let me drive you?"

Alex's expression softened noticeably at her words. "Okay. Thank you."

"Of course. I love you."

"You too." Alex replied as she climbed onto the bike behind Maggie, clinging to her fiancée and the hope that Kara was going to be okay. Maggie tried not to let it bother her that Alex's declaration of love had not included "forever".

* * *

Alex stormed into the DEO exactly seven minutes later with fire in her eyes and Maggie on her heels. "Where is she? Where the hell is my sister?"

"Ma'am." Vasquez rose from her duty station to intercept her superior and quickly fell into step beside her. "There was a routine raid happening just over an hour ago. Supergirl was on site. Everything seemed to be on the up and up."

"Why wasn't I informed?" Alex growled, stopping briefly to face the agent.

"The director said you were not to be disturbed, ma'am. Something about a standing appointment." Her eyes unconsciously flicked towards Maggie and the detective felt her face warm at the knowledge that Alex had built their weekly lunch date into her jam-packed schedule.

Alex waved off the statement and pressed for more information. "Where is Kara now?"

"This way. She's in with the director and Doctor Hamilton." She explained as she led them further into the base towards the medical bay.

"Why? What happened?" Alex demanded, annoyed that Vasquez had yet to disclose her sister's condition.

"Apparently, Cadmus has been trying to create some new forms of Kryptonite…" Vasquez began to explain as they reached the medical bay but Alex stopped dead in her tracks, causing Maggie to slam into her back!

"Ally, what the hell?!" She turned her attention to the other side of the room, eyes fixed on what had cause Alex to freeze up.

Doctor Hamilton approached them with a concerned look but that wasn't what the agent was focused on. Behind her stood J'onn rocking a very familiar looking blonde toddler in his arms as he spoke to her soothingly in _Kryptonian_. He approached the women cautiously even as the child seemed to sense Alex's presence. The moment he began moving towards them, bright blue eyes locked onto Alex's and the child lit up like the sun!

"Sissy!" She exclaimed, immediately trying to extricate herself from J'onn's grasp and reaching towards Alex with chubby little hands.

"Kara?" She whispered in disbelief. At hearing her name, the toddler began reaching for her sibling more insistently.

"Sissy, up!" She demanded as J'onn had set her on the floor to allow her to wander over to Alex. When the agent didn't immediately respond she hit Alex's shin impatiently with her chubby little fist. " _Sissy_! Up!"

Alex reached down mechanically and set the child on her hip, mouth still hung slightly open. Maggie noted the child was barefoot, wearing only an old "Midvale High" hoodie that she knew Alex kept in her locker for chilly days in the lab.

"Ho-how?" Was all Alex managed to squeak out as the little girl continued to snuggle with her, burying her face in her sister's neck with a sleepy smile.

"Love, sissy." The little girl murmured as she started to drift off, seemingly safe and content in her siblings embrace.

"It appears that this new synthetic Kryptonite has somehow _de-aged_ , Kara." Hamilton supplied, looking as mystified as they all felt.

" _No shit_." Was all Maggie could think to say, as she watched her fiancée quickly melt into a more maternal stance, swaying slightly and rubbing soothing circles on the toddlers back. The movements seemed to relax Kara further if that were possible and soon the little blonde was sound asleep, mouth hanging slightly open with her cheek pressed against Alex's chest.

"It seems the substance was aerosolized, ma'am." Vasquez interjected quickly, facing Alex. "When we entered the warehouse, there was a small explosion of pink dust. It didn't bother us but Supergirl began complaining of a headache and she started getting...well, _younger_ , ma'am."

"I've run all the tests on her that I can and as far as I can tell she's a normal two and a half year old. Without a sample of what she was exposed to, there's no way of knowing how long this will last." Hamilton supplied, leaning her tablet so Alex could read the results without disturbing the sleeping toddler.

Maggie had heard enough. She spun on her heel and began marching towards the medbay door when J'onn called out to her. "Detective Sawyer, where are you going?"

"To find some leads, get a sample of this stuff, whatever it takes to get Kara back to normal!"

"Mags..." Alex approached her, still rocking the sleeping toddler, hurt evident on her face. "Don't leave. I need you here."

"I'll be back, Ally. I just...I... _this_ is how I know how to help, okay?" Maggie stepped forward to press a gentle kiss against her fiancée's temple. "I'll be back."

With that the tiny detective strode out of the DEO, intent on finding _someone_ who could return Kara to her normal age and size. She knew Alex; could tell that the agent was currently running through all her options, considering the possibility that maybe this _couldn't_ be reversed.

And in that eventuality, Maggie knew Alex would put her sister first; push everything to the wayside in favor of what was best for the toddler. Maggie was fully committed to a "lifetime of firsts" with Alex but she would be _damned_ if she was going to raise an alien toddler!

Just when she'd thought her week couldn't get any worse...


	2. Super Sissy

**Stuck at the DEO, Alex is doing her best to hold it together after Maggie walked out on her. Meanwhile, Maggie is desperate to find a solution and save her relationship. Kara is the cutest little super ever, and J'onn just wants all his daughters safe and happy!**

* * *

Alex grunted in frustration as she glanced at her phone for what seemed like the hundredth time.

No new messages no missed calls.

It had been several hours since Maggie had left the DEO and she had been steadily out of contact since. The agent worried that her fiancée had stumbled into foul play, that Cadmus had been looking for Kara as hard as they had been looking for them. The other possibility, equally unsettling, was that Maggie was actively avoiding Alex and the DEO and _especially_ her alien toddler sister.

She leaned her head back against the wall and sighed, not too hard and not heavily, because Kara was currently still slumbering on her chest. After Maggie had left, Alex had taken Kara and her tablet back to her quarters where she could at least sit comfortably while she worked. It seemed her sister's heartbeat was as comforting to little Kara as it was to her adult self because she had immediately woken up when Alex tried to shift her off her chest and promptly fallen back asleep once her ear was positioned over her sister's heart once more.

Alex allowed herself a small smile. At least some things didn't change.

Kara shifted on her chest and she could tell the little girl was waking up. Unlike her adult self, little Kara was awake and alert right away, staring up at her sister with those familiar blue eyes.

"Hello baby girl." Alex whispered sweetly to her. "Did you sleep well?"

Kara nodded, rubbing a chubby fist over her eyes as she yawned widely. She pushed back off her sister's chest and pouted. "Sissy, I hun'gy."

"Well hello hungry, I'm your sister, Alex!"

Kara pouted further, refusing to be amused by Alex's 'dad joke' when her little stomach felt so empty. "Sissy!" she patted her round little belly. "Hun'gy!"

Alex chuckled at the statement because _of course_ Kara would be hungry! How she had lasted this long without food was a mystery in itself. She pulled the little girl into her arms and got off the couch, stretching her tired muscles in the process.

"All right, all right hungry." She planted a kiss on Kara's nose causing the toddler to giggle and blush. "But first, we gotta get you into some real clothes."

At the moment, the tiny Kryptoninan was wearing only a diaper and her sister's worn high school hoddie. While Kara had been sleeping Vasquez had brought the agent some essentials, as no one was sure how long they would be dealing with a toddler. She wondered briefly how the other agent had known what to get? Did Vasquez have children of her own? It occurred to Alex that though she had worked with the woman for several years, she really knew very little about her. When this was all over, the agent vowed to rectify that problem but for now, she had a baby to dress.

Alex opened the first shopping bag to find diapers, sippy cups and toys as well as a cute pacifier with the crest of the house of El on it. She opened that package first and handed it to Kara who promptly popped it in her mouth. The agent idly wondered if perhaps she should have boiled the pacifier before giving it to Kara but the toddler seemed content with it and she was loathe to take it away. The next bag was filled to overflowing with adorable outfits and pajamas for the precious toddler. After sifting through the bag some, Alex smiled widely as she found the _perfect_ outfit.

She placed Kara back on the couch and prepared to get her dressed, checking first that her sister was still dry, as she would have to start the process all over if later it turned out she wasn't. Dressing Kara turned out to be more difficult than the agent could _ever_ have imagined. Between Kara crying every time her eyes were covered, the little one's constant squirming and Alex having to go rinse the child's binky TWICE because it fell on the floor, the eldest Danvers could hardly believe the task was finally done. She grabbed one of her extra hair ties off her desk and quickly braided Kara's long locks before securing the end.

Alex sat back on her heels to inspect her work and couldn't help but smile. Kara looked absolutely _adorable_ in a little Supergirl sweatshirt, complete with detachable cape, red and blue leggings and tiny red high-tops. There was something else in the bag Alex had noticed that she knew Kara would love. Reaching blindly into the bag behind her, one hand still on Kara to keep the toddler from toppling off the couch, her fingers finally closed around what she was looking for.

She hid the item behind her back, peeking Kara's interest.

"What's dat?" she asked, mumbling slightly around her binky, as she pointed behind Alex. With flourish the elder sister pulled a very large, very fluffy stuffed white dog from behind her back and handed it to Kara!

"Puppy!" Kara squealed and hugged the animal tight though it was nearly as big as she.

"Isn't he cute?" Alex asked, smiling so wide at Kara's reaction that it hurt. "What should we name him?"

"Ice Cweam!" Kara answered happily and Alex nearly doubled over with laughter. Only Kara would name an animal after her favorite food.

"Ice cream it is, then." Alex scooped her up placing the girl on her hip, trying not to get fur in her nose as Kara refused to relinquish her hold on Ice Cream. She grabbed a sippy cup from the bag and the girls headed out. They stepped out into the hall and nearly bowled J'onn over as Alex could barely see around the stuffed animal!

"I was coming to check on you two." He told them with a smile. "Where are you headed?"

"Kara just woke up and _shockingly_ , the little stinker is hungry." Alex teased, tickling her sister's little tummy. Kara giggled and squealed before smiling at J'onn.

"Hi Papa!" She exclaimed with an enthusiastic wave. Alex didn't think she'd ever seen the Martian blush before but he definitely was in that moment.

"Hi Kara." He replied sweetly. "You look very pretty today."

"Sissy did it!" Kara exclaimed proudly, hugging Alex closer.

"Well she did a very nice job but she always takes good care of you, right?"

Kara nodded sagely before replying. "She's a good sissy."

"Yes she is." J'onn replied warmly as Alex tried not to cry at the sentiment the little girl had just expressed. He placed a reassuring hand on Alex's shoulder and she found herself leaning into the comfort.

"Sissy?"

"Yes, baby."

"Whewe Maggie?" Kara asked, eyes wide with concern, 'r's' slurring into 'w's'. Her question caught her sister by surprise and Alex was at a loss for what to say.

"Maggie went to find someone to help us." J'onn supplied, noting Alex's discomfort.

"Whewe?" Kara pressed.

"I don't know." He answered honestly but was shocked by what Kara asked next.

"Papa find Maggie?" Kara stared up at him, little face so trusting and J'onn knew he would search the world to bring Maggie back to her, to _them_.

"Yes, Kara. Papa's going to get Maggie right now." He promised her and Alex seemed to relax at his statement as well.

Kara squealed and wrapped her free arm around his neck, smashing their cheeks together! They were all thankful she had yet to develop her super-strength. J'onn reluctantly pulled back with a smile.

"Thanks J'onn." Alex told him quietly and Kara echoed her.

"T'ank 'ou Papa!"

"You're welcome; both of you. Now go feed this little one!"

Alex nodded gratefully and headed towards the mess hall, Kara bouncing happily on her hip and trying to force her sister to kiss her stuffed animal. He watched them go with a small smile before heading towards the command center.

"Agent Schott."

"Papa bear!" Winn exclaimed before realizing what he said. "I mean, sir, yes sir!"

J'onn rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile. "I need a location on Detective Sawyer."

"Maggie?"

"Is there another Detective Sawyer I'm not familiar with?" J'onn asked gruffly.

"My bad." Winn muttered before striking a few keys. "Got her."

"Relay those coordinates to me." J'onn replied as he transformed and headed towards the balcony. "Assistant Director Danvers is in charge until I get back."

"Roger that." Winn replied before he realized that he was talking to himself.

* * *

Maggie stomped out the bar in frustration.

None of her usual contacts knew anything about Kara and the majority of the aliens in National City knew enough to give Cadmus and it's agents a wide berth. She headed towards her bike, feeling the tears begin to burn her throat because she was worried about Kara and she was losing Alex and she wasn't sure her heart could take any more disappointments. A scream tore from her throat as she kicked the bar's dumpster, needing some sort of outlet for her anger.

"It doesn't seem to be putting up much of a fight." A deep baritone voice behind her observed. With a sigh she turned to find J'onn standing next to her bike, watching her with a concerned expression.

"Did Alex send you to find me?" She asked quietly, not sure she wanted to know the answer. She had been avoiding her fiancées calls and texts for hours.

"No." He answered simply before adding. "You know as well as I do that Alex Danvers isn't one to force herself on someone. She knows you need space but she would also like to know you're okay."

"I, yeah, I needed some space. But I also wanted to help."

"Any leads?" He asked, approaching her slowly.

" _Nothing_. Not a goddamn thing!" She kicked the dumpster again, raking her hands through her hair in frustration.

Without warning she found herself pressed against J'onn's chest, his big warm arms squeezing her tight and she couldn't stop the tears once they started. She screamed and beat her fists against his chest yet he continued to hold her gently, swaying ever so slightly; rocking her through her distress.

She couldn't tell how long they stood there but she eventually ran out of tears and pushed away from him. He let her pull back but kept his hands firmly on her shoulders, his face awash in sympathy.

"I'm sorry," she muttered in embarrassment.

"You have _nothing_ to apologize to me for." He told her evenly. "Though you should _probably_ talk to your fiancée about how you're feeling."

Maggie eyed the the Martian skeptically. "Did you read my mind?" J'onn laughed out loud at that.

"I would never do that without your express permission. But you and Alex both _think_ very loudly when you're stressed. One of the _many_ ways you are alike."

"Are you sure she didn't send you?"

"No. I was compelled by an even stronger pout."

" _Kara_?!" Maggie asked in surprise because the only person who could get to J'onn, even when Alex couldn't, was Kara.

He nodded as he let his hands drop from her shoulders. "It seems her 'super pout' is even more effective miniaturized. Go see Alex, _talk_ to her. I've lived many lives and watched many love stories from afar. Trust me when I say Maggie, yours does _not_ end here."

"Thanks, J'onn." She replied, trying to keep more tears from falling. "But I need to keep looking for leads, find a way to help Kara."

"Right now, your _only_ job is to talk to Alex. We have every resource at the DEO working on this. We'll get Kara the help she needs but only _you_ can help Alex."

"But..."

" _Go_ , Maggie. I don't want to have to fly you back." He warned using his director voice, arms crossed tight over his chest.

She narrowed her eyes again. "You _wouldn't_."

"Try me."

Maggie held his gaze for as long as she could before relenting and stalking over to her bike. She spared him one last glare as she picked up the kickstand and sped towards the DEO. J'onn watched her go, ensuring she was headed in the right direction before he transformed and took off, following closely behind.

Neither of them realized that their private moment may not have been so private after all as a shadowy figure stood from behind the dumpster watching them go with a satisfied smirk.


	3. Hard Truths

**While Alex is struggling to find a solution and care for her sister, Maggie heads back to the DEO to have the conversation the two women have been desperately avoiding. Will they be able to handle the hard truths about their situation? Or will the implications of a life spent caring for Kara finally break their bond?**

* * *

Alex and Kara headed to the med-bay after lunch where the toddler had consumed a shocking amount of mac and cheese as well as a full gallon of apple juice! The elder sibling had been diligent about watering the sugary drink down but that only proved to produce several soaking wet diapers when all was said and done.

At the moment Kara sat happily on the med-bed content to let Hamilton run her tests as long as there were no needles. She danced Ice Cream on her lap, N'Sync's greatest hits playing softly in the background as her big sister hovered nearby, keeping the little one on the table. Thus far, all of Kara's results were normal; well as normal as an alien toddler could be.

"I still don't understand what Cadmus hoped to gain by making Kara a toddler?" Hamilton mused, squinting at some of the hero's results on her tablet.

"Experimentation." Alex answered distractedly as Kara suddenly decided to stand on the unstable surface. The elder sibling quickly placed a steadying hand on the child's waist and Kara continued with her tiny dance routine.

"What?"

"My parents used to talk about it all the time," Alex shrugged, still steadying Kara. "To be able to study a Kryptonian from a small child up? To be able to chart their progress, the development of their powers, map their very DNA... there are _A LOT_ of scientific applications."

"So they would just what, raise her to experiment on her?"

"Essentially." Alex agreed, trying to sound impartial though her stomach was turning at the very thought. Hamilton, on the other hand, couldn't hide her disbelief.

"That's...that's _barbaric_." She gasped at the implications.

"That's _Cadmus_." Alex concluded. "And that's why we need to get this little girl back to normal Supergirl-size. Are we all done here?"

Kara had begun to rub her little fists over her eyes drowsily and she had all but abandoned her one baby dance party, plopping down tiredly on the bed. She leaned into Alex's side as her sister rubbed soothing circles on her back, little eyes dropping closed here and there.

"For now. I'll transfer all the data to your tablet so you can work remotely."

"Thanks. I think I'll try to get this little one down for a N-A-P so I can run a few simulations." Hamilton eyed Kara with a soft smile as she leaned ever harder on her sister sleepily.

"It looks like she could definitely use a nap." Hamilton laughed before Alex shot her a dirty look. It dawned on her suddenly why the agent had been spelling things out when Kara jumped upright at the word "nap"!

"No, nap!" Kara exclaimed, suddenly wide-awake, little arms crossed defiantly across her chest.

" _Thanks_ , Doc." Alex gave Hamilton a grim smile, tone dripping with sarcasm, as she picked Kara up and headed for her office.

"Sissy! No, nap!" Kara protested again, holding Alex's face in her little hands forcing Alex to make eye contact with her.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard ya..." Alex muttered but hastened to smile at the little girl when Kara seemed hurt by her tone. "Why don't we go to my office and color for a little while?"

Kara's eyes immediately lit up at the prospect of working on some art! "Color!" she exclaimed, little hands clapping happily, causing Alex to genuinely smile.

"Yep, let's color. Maybe you can make some pretty pictures for Papa J'onn to put on his desk?" Alex shot Hamilton another withering look as she and Kara headed out, _wishing_ the doctor knew better than to _ever_ utter the word "nap" around a toddler.

* * *

Maggie entered the DEO with a sheepish look, trying to avoid Winn and Vasquez since they both knew _exactly_ what was going on and knew she had been actively avoiding her fiancée. J'onn was already in the command center by the time she arrived. He paused his briefing to nod towards her.

"They're in her office." He stated simply, giving Maggie's shoulder a reassuring squeeze as she passed before turning his attention back to the briefing.

Maggie wandered down the hall distractedly trying to figure out exactly what she could say to her fiancée that would justify her abandonment and distant behavior. The detective knew she hadn't been very fair to Alex and it was a sobering thought that her own behavior, not a lack of children, could be the one thing that drove the other woman away. Without even realizing it, she was suddenly outside the agent's office door. She took a moment to observe the woman through the glass walls.

Alex was sitting on the floor, one of the throw pillows from her couch wedged behind her head, back against her desk. She had her tablet in one hand; the other was idly running through the hair of the tiny blonde beside her. Kara was laid out on her little tummy atop her own red cape, furiously scribbling away at her newest masterpiece. She must have been at it for a while because Alex's office floor was littered with tiny creations.

Maggie wasn't sure what caught Alex's attention but suddenly she found herself looking directly into those soulful brown eyes she loved so much. Alex tilted her head, a mannerism that was all Maggie and nodded lightly for the detective to come in. The detective stepped awkwardly inside, studiously avoiding the other woman's gaze.

"Hey you." Alex's greeting was quiet and it lacked its usual warmth.

"Hey, Ally..." Maggie began before another pair of eyes settled on her.

"Maggie!" Kara squealed, abandoning her art in favor of scurrying over to the detective who promptly scooped her up in a warm embrace. "Papa find you!"

"Hey Little Danvers!" Maggie couldn't help but smile at the tiny hero's reaction. "Yep. Your Papa found me! He said you were missing me?"

"Yeah!" Kara agreed with a smile before becoming uncharacteristically serious. "Why you go bye-bye?"

Maggie felt her throat close up as she noted Alex was watching the exchange with interest. The agent stood and approached the pair, hurt still evident in her expression.

"I'd say we _both_ deserve an answer to that question." Alex remarked, taking Kara from Maggie and settling the child on her hip. Maggie was surprised at how empty she felt when the child was no longer in her arms.

"Hey, sweetie?" Alex pulled Kara's attention to her. "I need to talk to Maggie for a little bit. Can you go draw her a nice picture for her desk, too?"

Kara nodded enthusiastically and rushed back over to her art station the minute Alex set her down. Content that the child was occupied for the moment, Alex turned her attention back to Maggie with arms crossed and expression guarded.

"Well?" She asked, trying desperately to keep her voice even. "Why did you leave?"

"I wanted to help, track down anyone who might know something about why Little Danvers is, uh, littler?" Maggie shrugged, running a hand through her hair nervously.

"And you had to turn off your phone for that?" Alex's gaze was unrelenting as she stared her fiancée down.

"No. I just didn't know what to say to you and things between us have been weird lately..."

"So your solution was to _run_?" Alex was deliberately keeping her voice even so as not to startle Kara but Maggie could feel the anger rolling off her in waves. "When _I_ needed you; when _we_ needed you?'

"Ally, I'm sorry."

" _Are you_? I saw how you looked earlier today when I was playing with that baby. The way you looked at Kara when we first found out what happened to her. I _know_ this isn't something you want but right now I don't really have a choice. Kara needs me and _I thought_... I thought I could count on you to support me..."

"Baby, you _can_!" Maggie exclaimed, placing her hands on the agent's shoulders.

" _Baby_?" Alex scoffed, shrugging out of Maggie's grasp. "Interesting choice of words..."

Maggie could feel her frustration bubbling over and she mentally kicked herself for taking J'onn's advice. She and Alex were just going in circles and right now their main focus needed to be on Kara, not on their issues. Alex was clearly seething and had every reason to be. Maggie couldn't stand to be on the receiving end of her ire anymore. She cursed herself for being so cowardly but made for the door anyway.

"I can't do this, Alex! I just...I gotta go..." Maggie mumbled as she tried to leave the office, only to be halted by a strong hand gripping her forearm.

" **NO.** You don't just walk out of here, Maggie! Not again. We've come too far and fought too hard. Talk to me, dammit!"

Alex 's eyes were filled with tears, as she demanded Maggie face her, look her in the eye and tell her it was _over_ , that all their struggles to be together were for _nothing_. The moment the two women met eyes, Maggie was powerless to deny Alex, utterly unable to look at the raw pain in her fiancées face and turn away without an explanation.

"I don't know how to do this..." She whimpered, tearing her eyes away from Alex as the tears started to flow.

"Do what, Maggie? You gotta give me more than that." Alex inquired tearfully and Maggie almost smiled to hear the agent throw her own words back at her.

The same words she'd said when Alex had tried to irrationally throw away their relationship, so scared of the unknown. In that moment, Alex had _finally_ opened up to her, now it seemed to be Maggie's turn. She took a deep, shaky breath and forced herself to meet the agent's eyes again.

" _Share you."_ She whispered, willing Alex to understand. "I meant what I said, _you_ are the only family _I_ need. But you, Ally, you need _more_ and I...I can't help but think that every new person who enters our life...is going to take you farther away ... _from me_."

"Oh, Mags..."

"It's stupid, I know! And selfish! And-"

" _Stop_. Don't you _dare_..." Alex commanded, eyes no longer glassy but steely with determination and Maggie felt her heart drop through the floor awaiting the woman's next words but they weren't what she expected. "Don't you dare call _my fiancée_ stupid."

Maggie gaped and shook her head and couldn't believe the words she was hearing because Alex was _defending her_? Against her own insecurities no less. She wanted to respond but Alex wasn't done.

"My fiancée is _not_ stupid." Alex asserted, taking Maggie's hands in hers as she spoke from the heart, eyes filled with love. "She is brave and smart and strong and beautiful, so, so, _beautiful_. And _no one,_ man, woman or _child_ could _ever_ take me away from her."

"Ally," was all she could manage before she threw herself into the taller woman's arms, having missed the strong embrace so much in the scant hours they'd been separated.

Alex held her close and held her tight, cheek pressed warmly against Maggie's soft hair, pouring every ounce of love she had into the gesture. The moment was enhanced by the feel of little arms wrapped around their legs and tiny lips pressing gentle kisses to both their knees! Maggie pulled back a little to smile down at the toddler, still so caring in her current form as her adult self.

"Hi Kara." She managed to give the toddler a watery smile.

"Why Maggie cwying? Maggie sad?" She asked, unable to form her 'r's' properly but concerned about the woman she has come to view as another sister just the same. Alex gave a tearful chuckle before scooping Kara up and cradling her between them.

"No baby, I'm not sad." Maggie assured the worried little one, pushing some unruly blonde hair out of Kara's eyes gently. "Not anymore."

Alex pulled her two favorite girls ever tighter before she locked eyes with her fiancée once more. "I know you're scared, Mags. I am too. And I know we haven't had the best of upbringings but that _pain_ Maggie? That pain is what will make us the best parents we could ever be because we could **NEVER** cause that to someone else, least of all, _our child_. We can do this."

"I still don't know, Ally..." Maggie started to pull slightly away but was stopped by little arms wrapped around her neck.

"No Maggie!" Kara cried, pulling the detective back in close. "Stay with sissy! Sissy is sad when you go bye-bye." The little Kryptonian finished with her signature pout.

"Is that true, _sissy_?" Maggie asked with barely contained amusement. "Are you sad when I go 'bye-bye'?"

Alex fixed her with a pout identical to her little sisters as she nodded sagely. "Sissy is _very_ sad when Maggie goes 'bye-bye'. Maggie should stay with us... _forever_."

The detective looked back between her two Danvers, undone by the same pout in different sizes and suddenly realized that while she may have been able to resist, she really didn't want to. _This_ was where she belonged, these were _her_ girls and no matter Kara's age she would do _anything_ in the world to help Alex protect and care for her.

Maggie couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before. She hadn't wanted a family because she hadn't wanted to _disappoint_ and yet, two of the most powerful women she had ever known couldn't be _more proud_ of her, couldn't bring themselves to be disappointed in her, trusted her wholly and completely.

"I can't leave you girls alone, who knows what troubles a 'little' Little Danvers can get into." Maggie began lazily; Alex's smile growing with every word she spoke. "Plus, I could never live with myself if I made 'sissy' sad again."

Alex grinned as both she and Maggie leaned in for a kiss only to be intercepted by a pair of rosy little cheeks! Kara giggled wildly as she was squished between the two women, smothered with kisses.

"Why you little!" Alex teased as she tickled the toddler's sides, causing Kara's squeals to intensify! Maggie quickly joined in and before long the tiny Kryptonian was breathless with giggles, and the two women were smiling so hard their faces hurt.

None of the three girls noticed J'onn leaning against the doorway, a warm smile on his face. Even though they hadn't figured out how to get Kara back to her "alien-fighting self" at the very least, the spirit of the 'Super' and her 'Sanvers' was clearly revitalized and for now it was enough.

The happy moment was interrupted when the little super started whimpering in pain! Alex quickly laid the toddler on her couch, checking her over with frantic eyes as Maggie and J'onn looked on in concern.

"Sweetie what's the matter?" She asked, knowing she was going to get limited response from someone so small. Kara began to cry in earnest and Alex could feel her panic rising. "Baby, tell me what hurts so I can make it better, okay?"

"Sissy..." Kara whined, pressing her little face into Alex's stomach as her sister tried to comfort her. "Hurts, sissy!"

Alex didn't need to hear anymore as she quickly scooped the little one into her arms and started heading for the med-bay. She barreled through the halls, J'onn and Maggie on her heels as she whispered to her little sister in an effort to comfort the girl obviously in pain. As she reached the glass doors, Alex glanced down just in time to see Kara's eyes roll back and her little body go still!

"No! Kara? **KARA**!"

The agent's anguished cries could be heard ringing throughout the DEO.


	4. Of Mothers and Daughters

**Little Kara's condition is deteriorating fast and even with Eliza en route, Alex is worried they may not find a solution in time. Will Maggie be able to convince an unlikely ally to help? And will the nefarious force behind this whole debacle finally be revealed?**

* * *

Alex burst into the med-bay and laid the toddler on the first bed she saw. Hamilton quickly joined her and started scanning the unconscious toddler. Her sister was relieved to note that though Kara was unresponsive, she was breathing on her own and didn't seem to be in distress at the moment.

"What happened?" Hamilton demanded as she rushed to scan the child in hopes of finding a cause for her collapse. " _Alex_?" The agent snapped her head up as her name was called with more force.

"She, uh, she was fine. We had lunch a few hours ago and then we were just playing in my office when she started complaining about being in pain. I brought her straight here and she lost consciousness in the hallway." Alex finished, trying her best to remain clinical and detached.

But this was _Kara_.

Her little Kara; who seemed even smaller on the massive bed.

"She's burning up!" Hamilton exclaimed as she finished taking Kara's vitals.

"Dammit." Alex muttered. "It's the Kryptonite! The original effect de-aged her but now it's having the same effect it normally would. It's attacking her immune system and she's just too small to handle it!"

Alex could feel the tears forming in her eyes but brushed them away quickly. She needed to stay in control, for Kara. She whipped around to face J'onn, with a determined gaze.

"I can't do this alone. We need to get my mom here as soon as possible. She's the expert."

"Of course." J'onn replied, already prepared to transform. "Where is Eliza?"

"Shit! I forgot!" Alex exclaimed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "She's in Geneva for a conference. You can't fly her that far, it's too dangerous, for both of you."

"I'll pull some strings and get her on our fastest jet. Is there anyone else who can help until then?"

Before Alex could respond Kara shot up in the bed and promptly threw up all over herself! Her big sister hurried to her side and hugged the child close as she began to cry, miserable and sick.

"Hey baby. You're okay, you're okay." Alex soothed, rocking Kara in her arms, as the child sobbed in pain and fear. "I'm right here, you're okay. I love you, you're okay."

She eyed Hamilton over her shoulder and while the child was distracted, the doctor quickly inserted an I.V. line with medicine that would hopefully bring the girl's fever down and calm her stomach. Alex had to look away because she _knew_ how much that must have hurt. Besides keeping the girl comfortable, there wasn't much else anyone could do. Kara had no powers and while that made it easier to treat her it also meant the usual remedy, her sun lamps, would have little to no effect.

"Mags, a little help please?" The detective rushed to assist her fiancée as Alex tried to get both she and Kara out of their soiled shirts. The agent was wearing a simple black sports bra underneath and Kara seemed to relax further at the feel of skin on skin. "Let's get these leggings off too."

Soon Kara was down to just her diaper and nearly asleep on her sister's chest as the medicine had fully entered her system. Alex hopped on the med-bed, holding the little girl close as they tried to come up with a plan until Eliza arrived. She took her sisters hand in her own and began wrapping the area around the I.V. with gauze, some part of her medical training reminding her that younger patients tended to tug on the lines once they were inserted. J'onn remerged with Kara's binky and her cape, draping the fabric over both sisters before offering the child her pacifier. Kara took it eagerly, her eyes still half-closed.

"Let's get some sun-lamps in here." He ordered the nearest agent. "It may not help but I'm assuming it can't hurt?" Alex nodded distractedly, her every sense tuned to the sick child.

"I know someone!" Maggie piped up suddenly, causing Alex and J'onn to turn towards her in surprise. "I, mean, I'd need your permission to read her in but she's _brilliant_ and she really cares about Kara-"

" _Lena_." Alex interjected and kicked herself for not thinking of it sooner. She turned to the Martian who simply nodded his approval.

"Do what you must. Kara's life is at stake and if Lena can help, then I will break every protocol to get her here!"

"I'm on my way then." Maggie leaned forward and quickly pressed a kiss against Alex's forehead, then Kara's. "You hang in there little one. I'm going to get a friend to help you, now." She whispered to the sleeping super before heading for the door.

"Be careful!" Alex called after her and Maggie threw a smile over her shoulder as she mouthed 'I Love You' and disappeared down the corridor.

* * *

Maggie stormed into L-Corp, badge flashing, and headed straight for the private elevator that led to Lena's office. When the doors opened a few moments later she marched out towards Lena's office, prompting her assistant Jess to rush to intercept her.

"Detective you can't just barge in here! Ms. Luthor isn't seeing any guests today, _especially_ uninvited ones." The young woman finished, placing herself between Maggie and the office door.

"This is _important_ Jess." Maggie growled. "So get out of my way or so help me, I will _find_ a reason to take you in!"

The door behind the assistant swung open and there stood Lena with a guarded expression. "What is going on out here?"

"Ms. Luthor, I'm so sorry!" Jess began apologetically. "I was just informing the detective that you are not taking any meetings at the moment." Lena ignored the girl and focused on Maggie.

"Detective?"

"This is important Lena. It's about Supergirl _and Kara._ "

At the mention of her best friend, Lena all but shoved Jess out of the way as she pulled Maggie into her office. As soon as the door was secure she began pacing, fraught with distress over what Maggie was about to say.

"I'm not really sure how to say this..." Maggie began but Lena was having none of it!

"Out with it, detective!"

"Supergirl was exposed to some new form of Kryptonite and it changed her into a little kid! Which isn't really so bad cuz' she's cute and all but now it's making her really sick and Alex isn't sure how to fix it and the only other person who could is in Geneva. And I _know_ how much you care about Kara and you're like the second smartest person in the city..." Maggie was rambling and Lena was staring at her, mouth hung open in disbelief.

"Kara is Supergirl." She whispered, hands coming up to cover her mouth in shock.

"Yeah. I'm sure she wanted to tell you herself but extenuating circumstances and all that..."

"I mean, I always suspected. Supergirl is _always_ there when I need her and Kara is a _terrible_ liar but-"

"Lena!" Maggie shouted, grabbing the women's shoulders before she could spiral any further. "I know this is a shock but Little Danvers is real sick and you might be the only person who can help right now."

"Right! Of, course!" Lena agreed, grabbing her trench coat, purse and cellphone. "Lead the way detective."

"Maggie."

"What?"

"My name is Maggie." The detective replied with a small smile. "You've saved my girls more times than I care to admit, so you've earned the right to call me by my first name."

"Thank you... _Maggie_."

The quiet moment didn't last long as Lena threw her office doors open and informed Jess that she was needed elsewhere for an emergency, to cancel all her meetings, and that she was not to be disturbed unless the building was under alien attack (which happened more often than it should). Jess simply stood behind her desk shell-shocked as the elevator doors closed in her face.

* * *

"Leaving so soon, detective."

Both women froze as a voice they knew all too well rang out in the parking garage. They spun on their heels to face none other than the head of Cadmus, Lillian Luthor.

"Mother!" Lena exploded. "I should have known you would be behind this! What have you done?"

Lillian shrugged casually as she moved towards the pair and Maggie had her gun drawn in an instant! "That's close enough." She growled.

"Oh, please, detective." Lillian rolled her eyes as she moved ever closer. "There is no need for theatrics. If I wanted you dead, you already would be." She nodded towards Maggie's chest and Lena noted with horror the glowing red dot that sat directly over the other woman's heart.

"Mother, please! What do you want?"

"The Kryptonian. How is the little darling?"

"She's not well, mother, but I'm sure you already knew that."

"An unfortunate side effect." Lillian sighed. "No matter the form or color, Kryptonite is still Kryptonite."

"You didn't come all this way to tell us the obvious. Spit it out, _Luthor._ " Maggie demanded, gun still drawn even though she knew it would do them no good.

" _Such fire_. I can see why Agent Danvers likes you. Or is that _over_ , dear? Something about her pesky desire for children?" Lillian cast Maggie a disdainful smile before turning her attention to Lena. "I speak from experience when I say, they do tend to _disappoint_."

Maggie bristled at the older woman's words. "How the hell do you know that?"

"I have eyes and ears everywhere, my dear. At crime scenes, your precinct, even _alleyways_ ; such a touching moment between you and the Martian. There is _nothing_ I don't know about you and our dear Agent Danvers."

"Mother, _enough_." Lena stepped between the two women, shielding Maggie and confronting her mother. "How do we help Kara and what do you want in return?"

" _Kara_?" Lillian asked with a curious smile. "So the alien _finally_ told you the truth."

"We're _friends,_ mother. We have no secrets." Lena retorted. Maggie knew she was posturing but didn't dare contradict the younger Luthor in a situation such as this. "Not that any of it matters to you. The Kryptonite?" Lena asked, raising a sculpted eyebrow defiantly.

Lillian smiled again. "There's a Luthor in there after all." She mused. "My scientists theorized that there might be ill effects from the transformation, so they formulated a serum to reverse the effects. We thought it might be useful. After all, why wait for her to grow up, when we can speed the process along?"

"That's sick!" Maggie exclaimed over Lena's shoulder, unable to get around the taller girl.

"That's _Cadmus_." Lillian replied with a feral smile.

"And what pray-tell do you get out of this mother?" Lena asked, afraid to receive the answer.

"I want all the data you've taken on the alien since the transformation."

"Data? That's all?" Maggie asked, not yet understanding the implications.

"I thought you were brighter than that, detective. Knowledge is power and power is _priceless_."

At that moment it struck both Maggie and Lena what Lillian was asking. The whole point of the transformation was to collect data on Kara at her weakest and now the DEO had done it for her. Maggie was nowhere near the scientist Alex was, but even still, she knew there must be countless applications for information that sensitive.

"How do we know that your serum will actually _help_ her? I _know_ you mother. Why save Kara when you can just let her die?"

Lillian shook her head in disappointment. "Just when I felt a sliver of pride," she sighed dramatically. "I'm playing the long-game, my dear. There'll be other opportunities to slay your 'pet alien' and I am a _very_ patient woman."

Maggie and Lena stared at each other unsure of what to do before the detective finally spoke up. "We need more time. It's not out choice to make."

"You have two hours to decide." Lillian tossed a burner phone to Maggie. "Give Agent Danvers my regards."

And with that, Lillian and her cronies disappeared into the shadows leaving the two young women with a ticking clock and an impossible choice.


	5. A Luthor to the rescue?

**Lena makes it to the DEO but Kara is rapidly deteriorating and the expiration date for Lilian's offer is quickly approaching! Can the two biggest brains in National City find a breakthrough? Or will Alex make a faustian deal with her worst enemy in hopes of saving her little sister?**

* * *

Lena entered the DEO with trepidation; her high heels clicking ominously on the polished concrete floors making her feel even more out of place.

So many different emotions were racing through her at the moment.

 _Worry_ for Kara, _fear_ over what other horrors her mother had in mind, and ... _Anger_. She was angry Kara hadn't trusted her with the truth; angry she hadn't seen it for herself; angry that some part of her had known all along but refused to acknowledge the deception.

"Ms. Luthor. Thank you for coming so quickly."

The director's voice pulled her from her thoughts, forcing her to focus on the task at hand. She looked up to find him striding toward her, hand extended in greeting. She took it numbly. This was not the reception she was expecting, especially with _Luthor_ as a surname.

"I'm happy to help." She told him sincerely when she found her voice. " _Supergirl_ means a great deal to me."

J'onn nodded his understanding. "This way." He led the two women towards the med-bay. Maggie hastened inside to greet her fiancée. As the agent turned towards them, Lena couldn't help but gasp.

In Alex's arms lay a beautiful blonde toddler, familiar and strange.

The child's big blue eyes were fixed intently on her sibling as the agent sang to her softly. Maggie noted that the child now wore a soft set of footed Supergirl pajamas. Her right arm was left bare to accommodate the I.V. and the pajamas were left unzipped so the child could maintain some skin-to-skin contact with her sibling. Alex wore one of her tactical shirts, also unzipped, so she could hold Kara to her exposed chest.

"How's she doing?" Maggie asked, placing a gentle kiss on the agent's cheek as she reached out and stroked Kara's hair.

"She's stable." Alex answered, laughing lightly at the "crinkle" that appeared on her baby sister's brow because she had stopped singing. "Her fever has gone down but she's still too warm and I can't get her to eat anything."

That last part was truly troubling because Kara, big or small, _never_ passed up a meal...or snack...or dessert. Lena stepped into the room, unable to stop herself from reaching out towards the child. Alex noticed the younger woman's hesitation and she moved closer so the child could see her newest visitor.

"Look, baby girl." She spoke softly, shifting Kara so her head lay on her sister's shoulder. "Do you know who that is?"

" 'Ena!" Kara exclaimed, her little face lit up momentarily but quickly fell, a testament to how poorly she was feeling.

"Hello, dear." Lena tried and nearly failed to smile at the child. Kara was beautiful but she could tell right away that the child was also very sick. "Agent Danvers, I'm here to help with whatever I can."

"Alex."

"What?"

" _Please_ call me Alex." The agent insisted with a smile, her fiancée smirking at Lena from behind her as they had just had a similar conversation. "You've been a good friend to Kara and now that you know the _truth_...there's no need to stand on formality."

"Of course... _Alex_. Though I do come bearing grim news..." Lena looked to Maggie for support.

" _Cadmus_." The detective clarified. "Lillian Luthor to be exact."

Alex's face hardened at the name of the woman who had taken so much from her and still aimed to take more. "Not here." She stated curtly before moving to zip her jacket and gathering Kara closer in her arms. "Come on, baby. Let's take a little walk, hmm?"

J'onn, Maggie and Lena were left to merely follow as the agent grabbed her sister's I.V. stand and led them to the DEO's conference room, a grim expression set in place. The group quickly settled around the large table as J'onn moved to secure the room. Alex sat at the head of the table, rocking her sister who seemed on the verge of falling asleep once more, despite the fact that she had only been awake for an hour or so.

"What does Lillian Luthor have to do with this?" J'onn asked firmly but gently because Lena had come to them and shouldn't feel attacked.

"My mother, as you've guessed, is responsible for Kara's current condition. She approached the detec-I mean, _Maggie_ and I, in the Luthorcorp parking lot and told us, among other things," a wary glance at Maggie, "that it was indeed modified Kryptonite that caused this transformation. She also told us that there is a 'cure'..."

"Why?" Alex asked with barely concealed anger. "Why would she offer it to you, if it even exists?"

"She proposes a trade. All the data you've taken on Kara since the original transformation and since she's fallen ill...in exchange for the cure."

"We can't trust it; can't trust _her_." Alex asserted, standing suddenly and causing Kara to startle and cry! "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, baby." She tried to soothe the little girl but Kara was feeding off her sister's distress and Alex's efforts were having no effect.

Maggie was on her feet in an instant, quickly moving to help. "Ally, let me try..." she spoke softly, trying to soothe both girls. Alex stared at her with large, watery eyes, the stress of the situation finally catching up to her frayed emotions. "Baby, let me try."

The detective held her arms out invitingly and both women were surprised when Kara immediately leant into them with a pitiful whimper of " _Maggie_ ". She settled the child on her hip and began bouncing lightly, much to the child's delight. Alex smiled softly watching Maggie soothe her cranky little sister, falling farther in love with the woman than she ever thought possible.

"Little Danvers and I are gonna go see if we can't find a snack, while 'Little Luthor' fills you in. You big brains don't need our help." Maggie flashed Alex a reassuring smile as she mouthed, 'I love you' and headed out, I.V. stand in tow.

"What do you want to do, Alex?" J'onn asked quietly once Maggie had gone. "I won't make this choice for you, not when it means Kara's life."

The agent paced the length of the room before leaning heavily on the steel table. "We can't trust your mother, Lena, you know that."

"I do." The younger woman agreed quietly. "Even if the cure was real, who knows what she would do with the data once she got it. There's also something else you should know, Alex."

The agent straightened at her tone and fixed her with a rueful expression. "Do I really want to know?"

"Probably not but you deserve to." Lena took a deep breath before blurting it out. "My mother has been having you and Maggie followed. Even if you took the deal, Alex, you shouldn't be within a hundred feet of my mother! She's got designs on you and ... _Kara_ couldn't bear to lose you too..."

"She's right, Alex. If Lillian wants you, it must mean she thinks you can undo this. And there's no way I'm handing you to her on a silver platter." J'onn stated with determination, eyes steely and arms crossed. "Kara can't lose you. None of us can."

"Then what do we do?" Alex asked in frustration. "She's getting _worse_ J'onn, my mom won't be here for several more hours at least and even if she _was_ here, there's no guarantee she can help! I _can't_ fail, J'onn, not at _this_."

"You won't." Both agents' were shocked when Lena stood up, her face equally determined. "Your fiancée seems to think we are the two _smartest_ people in all of National City so let's prove her right. What do we already know?"

Alex reeled her emotions in as best she could and began recounting everything they had discovered thus far, including the mission that Kara had been on when she was exposed.

" _Wait_ ," Lena interrupted as she was recounting the mission. "The Kryptonite was aerosolized?"

"Yeah. Why is that important?"

"If it was dispersed throughout the warehouse, than your strike team would have been exposed as well."

"But they weren't affected."

"No, of course not. Kryptonite doesn't affect humans but it _does_ leave a very specific chemical footprint..."

Alex jumped to her feet again as realization dawned on her. "Then there could be residual traces of this new Kryptonite on their gear!"

"Exactly. If we could find enough trace we could map the chemical makeup used on Kara and reverse-engineer a cure!"

"Lena! You really are a genius...not that I doubted but..." Alex shrugged and 'pfft'd' before turning to access the intercom but J'onn beat her to it.

"Agent Schott!" He barked, causing the younger man to rush into the conference room mere moments later.

"Hey! Where's the fire?" He joked but was ignored.

"Get with Vasquez and scan _everything_ they used on this last operation." Alex ordered before turning to Lena. "I can get you a work station in my lab. All the data Winn collects will upload to the mainframe in real-time so we can start analyzing as soon as he starts scanning."

Both women turned to stare at Winn who had yet to move. He tensed under their gaze then hastened to action. "Right! Scans, scan everything! Agent Schott going to scan, right now." He yelped as he scurried out to begin the scans.

"I'll supervise." J'onn offered following the flustered analyst out.

Alex moved to head out as well, Lena on her heels when Maggie appeared in the doorway. "Babe..."

"Mags, what's wrong? Where's Kara?" The agent could feel the panic rising once more even though Kara had only been out of her sight for a few minutes.

"Her fever spiked again so I took her back to the med-bay. She still won't eat, Ally..." Maggie let her last statement settle before she added, "Hamilton wants to see you."

Alex seemed rooted to her spot, even as her fiancée stepped forward and began tugging her towards the door. Lena followed quietly behind urging the agent on with a soft " _Go_. I'll find my way to the lab."

She watched the two women leave with dread in her heart, knowing the doctor wouldn't be requesting Alex unless she needed _consent_ ; and consent meant they were rapidly running out of time.

* * *

"Sissy..." a little voice whined as soon as Alex entered the bay. She hastened to Kara's side, perching on the edge of the bed and settling the child across her lap.

"Hi, baby." She whispered, stroking the child's hair. "Still not feeling good?"

Kara shook her head sullenly before drooping against her sister, Ice Cream clutched in her arms. Hamilton approached the pair with a somber expression.

"I assume the detective told you that she still refuses to eat?" The doctor asked quietly as Alex nodded. "Even though she doesn't have her powers yet, Kara's body requires a tremendous caloric intake and without it, any chances she has of fighting this infection lessen substantially."

"So how do we get her to eat?" Maggie asked not quite understanding the implications. "Why did you have me get Alex in such a hurry?"

"Because she wants to insert a feeding tube." Alex answered, eyes glassy. "And she needs my consent. I'm her emergency medical power of attorney."

"Woah! Is that really necessary?" Maggie turned to the doctor, eyes wide with panic at the thought of the little girl having a tube jammed up her nose! "Ally?"

"Lena and I have a theory...but my mom is still two hours out..." Alex looked as if she was barely holding it together. "Do it." She finally stated moving to lay down on the bed beside Kara.

The little girl watched her through droopy eyes, the fever sapping what little energy she had left. Alex positioned her on her back, stroking her hair and keeping the cape tucked around her and Ice Cream. She nodded to Hamilton and the doctor quickly rolled the tray with all the necessary items over.

"I'm going to sedate her first," Hamilton explained though Alex knew how the procedure would go. " And _keep_ her sedated...at least until we've found a treatment."

Maggie stepped forward and laid her hand on her fiancée's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze as Kara fell into her drug-induced slumber and Alex did her best not to cry.

"It's okay, baby. You're gonna sleep for a little while and when you wake up I _promise_ you'll feel better." She assured her little sister as they waited for her to fall unconscious. "I love you. I love you _so much_ and I'm gonna fix this."

As soon as Kara was under, the DEO doctor began readying the feeding tube. She turned to Alex hesitantly. "If you want to do it yourself, I totally understand..."

"No." Alex replied almost too sharply as she rose from the bed and positioned Kara in the middle. " _Please_. I can't...I _can't_."

"Babe, it's okay." Maggie wrapped her arms around the agent's waist, offering as much comfort as she could. Though it turned the detective's stomach, neither she nor Alex looked away as the procedure was performed and in a few short minutes, Kara was blissfully unaware as her system was fed.

The pair stood in silence, Alex running her hands through her sisters hair over and over, promising to make it right while Maggie kept her wrapped in a warm embrace. Hamilton excused herself to check Kara's vitals and the bay was empty save for the couple and their little super.

The quiet moment was shattered by a piercing ring!

"What the hell?!" Maggie cursed as she pulled the offending device from her pocket: the burner phone Lillian Luthor had given her.

"Whose phone is that?" Alex asked, annoyed by the interruption.

"I was supposed to give it to you..." Maggie admitted, eyes downcast. "From _Lillian Luthor_."

Alex's eyes flashed with rage at the name. "Give it to me."

"Ally no! You can't take this deal!" Maggie pleaded, holding the phone just out of the other woman's reach. She knew if Alex truly wanted it, there would be no way to stop her.

"Maggie." Alex ground out. "Give me the goddamn phone."

"No, babe-"

"Look at her!" The agent pointed emphatically towards her sick sibling. " _Look_. _At._ _Her_. I can't lose her... _we_ can't lose her."

Maggie's eyes drifted to child taking in her too pale skin, the sheen of sweat from the fever and the newest insult, that feeding tube. She couldn't bear to see Kara suffer even more than she already had so she handed over the still ringing phone with a sigh.

Alex snatched the phone and answered.

" _Luthor_. I accept your terms."


	6. I Hope You Have A Plan

**Alex needs a fool-proof plan now that she's agreed to meet with Lillian. Will the Super Friends figure out a way to keep BOTH Danvers girls safe? And when Alex makes an unusual request of her, will Maggie honor her wishes or further endanger their relationship? And where the heck is Eliza?**

* * *

J'onn couldn't believe what he was hearing; couldn't believe she could be that _stupid_.

Alex had accepted not only Lillian's call but also her _offer._

There was no possible way that Lillian wouldn't try to double-cross them and he was horrified at the implications. Taking this deal could cost him _both_ his "earth-daughters" and he was not about to let Alex take that chance.

" _No_. Absolutely not, Alex! What were you _thinking_?" He fumed, his voice carrying through the closed space of the conference room.

Maggie toed the rug in shame, having been the one to allow her fiancée to initiate contact with the murderous leader of Cadmus, while Lena looked equally guilty for simply sharing the Luthor name. Alex on the other hand seemed completely calm, at peace for the first time since this whole ordeal started.

"I know you think I'm just lashing out, reacting on instinct but this our chance J'onn! Not only to save Kara but to put an end to _Cadmus_ , to put an end to _her_. She is _desperate_ to get that research and _desperate_ to keep me from finding a cure. We can use that against her!"

"She's right." Lena piped in, drawing the wrath of 'space-dad' away from Ale _x. "_ My mother is never one to go for the direct approach _._ The fact that she _called Alex_ , even though her original offer had expired, reeks of desperation. There's something else brewing here and the sooner we stop my mother, the better."

J'onn stared the young woman down, eyes glowing red at the suggestion that they see this through, practically hand Alex over to their worst enemy. But, he couldn't deny that another opportunity like this might not present itself.

" _Fine_." He spat, every part of him wanting to order his adopted daughter to stand down.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Alex, didn't have faith in her abilities. It was the fact that someone as nefarious as Lillian Luthor also saw how unique the agent was and would seek to control her.

"But _Supergirl_ is going with you." He stated causing everyone in the room to stare at him in confusion; everyone that was, but _Alex_.

"You want Lillian to think we cured Kara and hope she tips her hand." Alex guessed and J'onn nodded his acknowledgement. "That's actually pretty brilliant! If she thinks we don't need the cure, she may be more eager to bargain..."

"But we won't be trading the actual research. I thought you might try to 'hedge your bets' so to speak." J'onn pulled a flash drive from his pants pocket and handed it to Alex. "This contains all our _supposed_ data on Kara _and_ a nasty virus that will crash Cadmus' operating system. There's also an embedded tracking device, in case Luthor manages to escape."

"Perfect." Alex grinned, feeling as if they were _finally_ ahead of Cadmus. "Lena you stay here and keep working on reverse-engineering a cure. Hopefully, my mom will get here soon to help."

" _Hopefully_ , she won't kill you for going after Cadmus again." Maggie muttered under her breath earning a small smile from J'onn.

"Yeah, not likely." Alex groused. "But one problem at a time. I'm gonna check on Kara before I suit up."

"How long until we need to head out?" Maggie asked as an unreadable expression passed over her fiancée's face.

"Um, we need to move out in a half hour or so..."

"Good." J'onn replied, picking up on the underlying tension. "I need to brief Alpha Team before we move out. Ms. Luthor," he inclined his head to the young CEO, "I'll walk you back to the lab."

He led her out of the room with a gentle hand on the small of her back. Maggie turned to Alex, her expression a mixture of anger and confusion. "Ally, what the hell? Do you not want me on this opp?"

"No, Mags, I don't." She replied, arms folded.

"What happened to ride or die? I know I was a little freaked out earlier but that doesn't mean you can't trust me!"

"This isn't about trust, Maggie or our... _issues_. Lillian is _dangerous_ and she has cost me _so much_. If this thing goes sideways...I just need to know that you're _safe_ , that Kara won't be alone."

"Ally, the safest place for me is by your side..."

"No, it isn't! Please, _please_ do this for me. With Kara down and J'onn going with me, someone needs to be here to protect her, my mom, even Lena. I can't trust that to anyone but _you_ , so _please_..."

Alex grabbed Maggie's shoulders, imploring the other woman to hear her out; to stay behind, just this once, but the detective was not swayed by her plea.

" **RIDE** or die, Ally." She asserted, reaching up to cup Alex's face. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you and I wasn't by your side. Do you know what that would do to me?"

"Yeah," Alex whispered. "I _do_. Which is why I need you to stay _here._ The thought of _losing you_ , with everything else going on, is too much. And I need a clear head going into this or it could all end very badly. Plus, Kara needs at least _one_ big sister by her side."

Maggie's shoulders slumped in defeat as she realized Alex was right. The DEO could be left defenseless with she and J'onn gone, not to mention poor little Kara, so small and so sick, in need of as much comfort as the adults surrounding her could offer.

"You get _one_ , Alex." She growled, though there was no conviction in it. "The next time we go together, or not at all."

"Understood." Alex replied solemnly, pulling Maggie tight against her. "Thank you. I love you."

"You too, Danvers. _Forever_."

* * *

Exactly twenty minutes later, Alex strode into the med-bay in full DEO mode, clad head to toe in black tactical gear, her favorite gun strapped to her thigh. At Maggie's insistence she had showered and forced some food down, even though her stomach churned at the thought of what she was about to do. Her heart gave a small flutter at the sight that greeted her.

Maggie was on the bed with Kara, the little girl lying on her chest as the detective read from a book of fairytales. The younger Danvers had confided to her once that she loved the stories of great adventures and true love, that they made her feel safe in times of chaos. So there Maggie was, reading softly, Kara tucked tightly against her chest while she rubbed her back, occasionally kissing her little forehead.

Even though Kara was still unconscious, Maggie hoped that she was offering her a small measure of comfort, of safety and security. She looked up when she felt eyes on her to find Alex watching them with a watery smile. Her fiancée approached and placed a gentle kiss against both their foreheads.

"You ready to go?" Maggie asked quietly, though the answer was obvious.

"Yeah. We're heading out now...I just..." Alex swallowed thickly, trying to regain her composure. "I just needed to see you _both_ , to tell you how much I love you _in case_..." Alex's voice dropped off as a single tear made it's way down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away. "I love you. Both of you, _forever_."

"I know, babe. And so does she." Maggie reassured her, pressing a gentle kiss to the hand Alex had laid lovingly against her cheek. "Now go kick some Cadmus ass and get back here in one piece. Yeah?"

"Yeah." Alex agreed, some of her confidence returning. "See you around, Sawyer."

Maggie watched Alex leave with a spring her step, determined to face down the Devil and come back victorious, to come back to _her girls_. She clutched Kara a little tighter, torn between wanting to be with Alex and comforting the girl who had become as much a sibling to her as she was to her adopted sister.

"It's okay, Little Danvers." She whispered, assuring herself more than anyone else. "She'll come home to us. She always does."

* * *

Alex strode into the command center ready to start barking orders but instead pulled up short! There, just a few feet away stood her sister, _Supergirl_ , in all her glory. The visual was jarring to say the least. Alex swallowed hard and shook her head.

 _No, it's not Kara._ She reminded herself.

"Alex? Everything alright?" Kara's voice asked but it was J'onn's red eyes that watched her with concern.

"Yeah. I just...I wasn't expecting you to already be... _her_." She managed, trying to regain some composure.

"Kara" smiled sympathetically at her, laying a familiar hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I should have warned you but if Luthor is watching the base, she'll know if I leave as myself instead of Supergirl."

"No, it's okay. You're right. I just want her back _so bad_...I'm okay. Let's do this."

"Hey Alex?" a voice called behind her and when she turned she found herself pulled into a tight hug by her little brother! "Don't do anything stupid like jump off a building, okay? Kara would never forgive me and I...just be careful."

He released her with a sniffle, wiping his nose on the sleeve of his cardigan. She gave him a small smile because she couldn't lose her composure in front of the whole command center.

"I promise, I'll be careful. 'Come back with my shield or on it' right?" She assured him, quoting their favorite sibling movie "300".

"That's not what that quote means!" He called after her but she had already disappeared towards the vehicle bay. With a sigh, he hurried back to his console to oversee the operation. Just as he settled an angry voice, in a tone only used by matriarchs, rang through the command center!

"Winslow Schott, Jr.! Where the _hell_ are my girls?" Eliza demanded and Winn sorely wished in that moment that he had been cleared for the field.


	7. Deal With The Devil

**"Supergirl" and Alex head out to meet the elder Luthor in hopes of procuring a remedy for Kara. Will Lillian be fooled by Supergirl's sudden reappearance? And how will Eliza react when she finds out what her eldest daughter is currently up to? Can Maggie and Lena keep the elder Danvers occupied until Alex gets back?**

* * *

Alex climbed out of the SUV, trying to appear confident even though she was plagued by a heavy sense of dread.

Lillian Luthor stood in the middle of the abandoned parking lot, looking ever the picture of refinement. It was hard to believe that under those designer clothes and impeccable makeup laid a xenophobic, murderous, monster. She approached the woman cautiously, hand resting idly on her sidearm, just in case.

"Now, now _Alexandra_ ," Lillian clucked and Alex almost wanted to shoot her on the spot for using her full name. "I come in _peace_ , yet here you are armed to the teeth with your little DEO lackeys in tow."

"You didn't really think I'd come alone did you?" Alex asked, eyeing the masked Cadmus agents lingering behind Lillian and knowing there were many more hidden throughout the structure. "We both know I'm smarter than that."

Lillian smirked as she tilted her head slightly. "That you are my dear. Shame your usual back-up is _indisposed_..."

"Alex!" A voice called from the sky, causing Lillian's eyes to widen in shock as "Supergirl" descended to stand next to her "sister". "Sorry I'm late, there was a cat up a tree."

"What _exactly_ are you playing at, Alexandra?" Lillian had quickly regained her composure and was trying to unnerve the younger woman in an attempt to gain the upper hand. "If you've healed your pet alien, you _surely_ don't need our antidote."

"That's where you're wrong _Luthor_." Alex countered, advancing on the woman menacingly. "You've probably armed half this cities criminals with various versions of the _one thing_ that can hurt my sister. The more I know, the better I can protect her."

"And why would I care about protecting the Kryptoninan menace?" The older woman scoffed, arms crossed.

"Because you _want_ , no, you _need_ my research."

"Don't you see, Alexandra? The DEO, your parents, even the spunky detective that keeps you warm at night...they've all _brainwashed_ you into seeing aliens as _family_ , into protecting our invaders when you could be using your intelligence for a greater cause. It's sickens me to see so much _wasted_ potential."

"Sickens _you_?" Alex seethed, standing toe-to-toe with her nemesis. " _You_ were planning to _torture_ a little girl. To experiment on her, expose her to poisons, to _tear her apart_ ; all for your xenophobic crusade. You're _sick,_ Luthor, and I am done talking. Are we making this trade or not?"

When Lillian didn't respond, Alex pulled the flash drive from her pocket and turned to her "sister". She tossed the device at the hero's feet as she ordered, "Destroy it."

" _Wait_." Lillian hissed behind her, as "Kara's" eyes glowed red in preparation, and Alex knew she had won. "There's no need for _theatrics._ " The older woman nodded to one of her lackeys and he handed her a chrome attaché case, which she held out to Alex.

The agent smirked as "Kara" handed her the drive. She approached the villainous older woman, arm extended. When she was close enough, Lillian snatched the drive and she the case. Alex handed the case to her "sibling", as far away from Lillian as she could get it at the moment. Lillian eyed "Kara" suspiciously but couldn't find anything amiss with the girl.

"How _did_ you manage to restore our local _hero_ to her former glory?" Lillian inquired, eyebrow quirked. "For science." She added.

"That's _classified,_ Luthor." Alex snapped.

"It doesn't need to be like this, Alexandra. You have so much _potential."_ Lillian sighed as she circled the agent. "Kara" tensed at the other woman's proximity to her "sister" but Alex waved her off. " _Your father_ was quite the expert in his day but _you_...you have _far_ surpassed him my dear. The things I could do with a mind like yours."

"You really are insane." Alex scoffed. "To think that I would _ever_ work for you, after what you've done to my _family,_ what you _tried_ to do to my sister. You're lucky I don't shoot you where you stand."

"I _tried_ to play nice..." Lillian murmured.

Before Alex had a chance to wonder what the woman meant the cellphone in her pocket began to ring. She pulled it out in confusion because Lillian was standing right there, why would she be calling her?

The bewildered agent was blinded by a flash-bang emanating from the device, as all hell broke loose!

* * *

"Maggie!"

The detective glanced up from her place at Kara's bedside to find her future mother-in-law racing towards her arms outstretched!

"Eliza!" She managed to stand just as the older woman wrapped her in a crushing hug. "I'm so glad you finally made it. Things have been..." She gestured vaguely towards the bed behind her and the other woman hastened to it.

" _Sweetie_ ," she gasped as she took in Kara's condition. Of course, she had been briefed on the flight over but seeing the super in her current state brought tears to the adoptive mother's eyes. "We're going to fix this." She whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to the child's forehead.

"Where is Alexandra?" The concerned parent demanded and Maggie averted her eyes before answering.

"Ally, uh, stepped out to follow some leads?" She stammered.

"Would any of these leads happen to be _dangerous_?" Eliza pressed, arms crossed, fixing Maggie with a stern gaze.

"Doctor Danvers!" A voice exclaimed from the doorway, saving Maggie from the older woman's motherly wrath. Lena swept in, tablet in hand, winning smile in place. "It is a pleasure to meet you though I wish it were under better circumstances."

Eliza took the younger woman's extended hand with a bewildered expression. "Ms. Luthor. I'm surprised to see you in the DEO." She cast a questioning look at Maggie.

"Lena knows, well _everything_ , Eliza..." Maggie admitted with a shrug. "She's been helping Alex work on a cure. I'm sure she has some theories to share with you."

"Everything?" The older woman queried and Lena spoke up again.

"If by _everything_ you mean, that Kara is Supergirl and the DEO is quite real then yes, I know everything. But, that hardly seems like the point right now..." She trailed off, waiting to see if she had offended her best friends mother within seconds of meeting her.

"What have you found?" Eliza asked after taking several moments to size Lena up. Both she and Maggie breathed a sigh of relief at the older woman's acceptance.

"Follow me." She led Eliza out with a small smile while Maggie once again took up her post by Kara's side. She glanced at her phone to find no missed calls and no new texts.

"Dammit, Ally." She cursed under her breath. "You _better_ be okay."

* * *

Forty-five minutes away, in a rundown section of old National City, Alex was most certainly _not_ okay.

Her eyes burned from the flash bang and her ears rang incessantly. She could hear the sounds of a firefight all around her but couldn't focus enough to join the fray. Rolling over in the dirt, she managed to get to her hands and knees before a boot slammed into her temple, knocking her back in a cloud of dust!

" _Stay down_ , my dear." Lillian cooed with a lethal tone. "So brash, so headstrong." She mused. "Just like your father. But, I _broke_ him and soon I shall break you, too."

"No!" Alex gasped, reaching desperately for her gun.

Lillian stomped a red-soled Louboutin onto her wrist pinning it to the dirt with so much force, both women heard the resulting snap! Alex screamed, momentarily blinded by the pain, as Lillian watched her suffer.

 _"Yes_." She grinned down at the wounded agent. "I'm going to take _everything you love_...starting with the alien sister."

Alex followed Lillian's gaze to see none other than the original Hank Henshaw emerge from the thick of the fight and head straight for her "sister". To J'onn's credit, he had sensed the other man coming and right as Henshaw unleashed a brutal strike "the girl of steel" became intangible!

"What the hell?!" He screamed in anger as Supergirl faded out of existence, leaving the Martian Manhunter in her wake.

"Surprise." Hank smirked as he sent the cyborg through a concrete pillar. He quickly gave chase, pressing his advantage even as the DEO started to get the upper hand on the fleeing Cadmus agents.

Lillian lifted her heel off Alex's broken arm, leaning down to grab her hair roughly! "This is _not_ over, Alexandra." She hissed. "Not by a long shot."

Alex fell back against the ground when she was released, still reeling from the explosion and incapacitated by the radiating pain in her arm. She was rapidly losing the battle to stay conscious but offered herself a small smile when she remembered the tracker she had slipped into the other woman's pocket. With shaking fingers, she pressed the activation code on her phone and prayed Winn was watching before she lay back in the dirt and slipped away.

* * *

" _Seriously_ , Ally?!" Maggie exclaimed running across the vehicle bay to slip underneath her fiancée's arm as she limped from the SUV.

J'onn and a handful of agents had stayed behind to secure the scene and round up any stragglers. Predictably, Lillian was not among them but Alex hoped they might still get lucky with one of the trackers. Alex was clearly in no shape to help, whether Lillian was located or not, so she had been sent back.

"You said you were gonna be _careful_!" The detective huffed taking in her fiancées dusty and bloodied visage.

Alex gave a half-realized shrug, trying to appear casual even though her head was reeling and her arm was throbbing. She had a chrome attaché dangling from the fingers of her broken arm and Maggie quickly grabbed it from her.

"Is this...? Is this _it_?" She asked, obviously surprised that they had actually pulled this off.

"Yeah. I _think_...Lena needs to analyze it..." Alex was moving slow and speaking even slower. Maggie noted a thin line of blood coming from her hairline and concluded the other woman may have suffered a concussion as well.

"We'll drop this off on the way to the med-bay..." Maggie offered, not sure when she should reveal to the other woman that her mother had arrived. The decision was made for her when the Danvers matron came rushing towards them.

"Alex!" She wasted no time in wrapping her daughter in a crushing hug! Alex yelped and pulled away, cradling her broken arm causing Eliza to frown. "How bad?"

"It's fine, mom, probably just a hairline fracture...how's Kara?" She tried to deflect from her injuries even as she was once again leaning heavily on Maggie.

"That does _not_ sound _fine_ , Alexandra." She scolded before softening. "I know how badly you want to help Kara but what she needs most is _you_ , preferably in one piece."

"I know." Alex conceded sullenly. "I have the samples from Lillian but we'll need to run tests to see if they'll actually help. Have you and Lena made any progress?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

"Come see for yourself." Eliza fell into step beside them, one hand rubbing gentle circles on her daughter's back because she knew Alex was hurting, even if the agent would never admit it.

As they neared the med-bay, Lena popped out with a soft smile, taking the attaché from Maggie, eager to explore the contents.

"I'll meet you back in the lab, Eliza." She nodded towards the older woman. "Alex, I'm so glad you're back. You had some lovely ladies _very_ worried." She winked at the trio and was quickly gone.

Alex continued to limp into the bay; eyes almost fluttering closed when a familiar voice had her suddenly wide awake!

"Sissy!"

" **KARA**?!"


	8. Reunions and Revelations

**Lena and Eliza have made a critical breakthrough and Alex returns with what they all hope is a cure. Will Kara's recovery stay on track and how long can they keep Alex in bed and away from the lab? Maggie decides to take matters into her own hands, putting her at odds with her fiancee' not to mention a traitor in the DEO!**

* * *

Alex stumbled toward the bed in a haze, unable to process what she was seeing. Before her, Kara sat up in the oversized bed, little hands eagerly grasping for her sibling. She was still on the feeding tube but she was awake and her eyes were bright.

It was enough for Alex.

"Hi baby." She whispered reverently, kneeling before the bed to inspect the miracle more closely. "Did you have a good nap?"

Kara nodded enthusiastically as her sister reached out to stroke her hair. "I sleeped soooo long!" She exclaimed, spreading her little arms wide to emphasize her point.

Alex laughed weakly before kissing the child's forehead gently. "Yeah, baby, you did."

Kara squinted up at her before reaching a tiny hand out to brush her sister's forehead, little brow furrowed. "Sissy gots an owie?"

Before Alex could respond, Kara leant forward and pressed a tiny kiss above the cut. She rubbed her sister's cheek as she asked, "All better?"

Alex nodded quickly, not trusting her voice. "Yeah. Thank you." She managed to choke out as she stood up. The motion caused her head to swim and she stumbled back into her fiancée's waiting hands.

"Not _quite_ all better." Maggie observed, supporting Alex as she sat on the bed beside her little sister.

"I'm not one to doubt the power of 'Kryptonian kisses', " Hamilton piped up. "But maybe, I should have a look at you too?"

Maggie scooped Kara off the bed so her sister could lie back. She pressed a raspberry to the child's rosy cheeks, causing Kara to giggle and squeal in delight!

"How did you do it?" Alex asked, wincing slightly when Hamilton pressed gingerly around her forehead.

Eliza moved closer to the bed so her daughter didn't have to strain to see her as Hamilton ran Alex through a series of questions to determine how serious her head injury was. The agent pushed her away with an exasperated huff that quickly turned into a yelp when she extended her injured arm!

"I'll get the portable x-ray." Hamilton clucked as she moved away to acquire the item. With the doctor temporarily out of the way, Alex could now turn her full attention to her mother.

"As I was saying dear," Eliza recounted with a small smile. "Lena and I were reviewing your simulations, which were _brilliant_ by the way, when I noticed that you had documented the solar lamps having no effect..."

"Kara doesn't have her powers, so they were basically just keeping her warm." Alex explained. "How did that help you get her...somewhat healthier?"

"Well, I analyzed some of Kara's blood samples and found something _very_ interesting..."

Eliza then explained how Kara's cells were still storing solar energy just not enough to manifest her powers. By infusing the young super with low-levels of radiation, they were able to boost Kara's cell production, effectively staving off the ill effects of the kryptonite in her system. It was enough to have the toddler feeling better but still far from a cure.

"Well, hopefully, Luthor was arrogant enough to give us _something_ we can work with..." Alex murmured as she closed her eyes, just briefly, to rest a little _not_ because the spinning room was making her nauseous.

" _I'm_ going to find that out now, while _you_ stay and get checked out." Eliza informed her daughter in her most motherly tone. She pressed a gentle kiss to her daughter's forehead before turning to Maggie. "Please make sure _both_ my daughters stay here?"

"Yes ma'am." Maggie mock saluted. Eliza leaned in to kiss Kara's rosy cheeks as the baby hugged her neck tightly.

"Bu-bye, Mama." She waved with a grin, content to stay with Maggie, especially with Alex in the room.

"Bye baby. I'll be back soon...with _snacks_!"

Kara's smile lit up the whole room and Maggie couldn't help but smile herself. She sat in the chair nearest Alex, Kara content to watch over her big sister as Maggie danced Ice Cream around on their laps. She was surprised how natural this felt: caring for a child while also keeping an eye on Alex. This was the future Alex had envisioned for them; whether or not Maggie was ready to embrace it was still the question.

* * *

"Mr. Schott." The agent visibly jumped when J'onn swooped in from the balcony to land beside him.

"Hey, Papa Bear...I mean, Director sir, I'm glad you're back..."

"Any leads on Lillian?" The Martian asked as he reverted to his human form ignoring the younger man's flustered response.

"Yes and no." Winn responded, before hastily continuing. "I mean, the tracker in the flash drive hasn't been activated cuz it hasn't been accessed... _yet_. But, the tracker Alex put on Lillian is pinging six miles from the waterfront in the warehouse district."

J'onn and his team had been gone for close to six hours, tracking Lillian's goons through the streets of National City. There had been no sign of the elusive Cadmus leader until now. It was close to midnight and everyone was on edge, running on little to no sleep.

"Vasquez, relay those coordinates to me. Mr. Schott, check in with Eliza and Ms. Luthor to see if we've made any progress. I'm going to brief Beta team, then check on Kara and Alex before I head out."

"Roger that." Winn replied, jumping to his feet to follow the Martian out, tablet in hand while Vasquez slid over to take his duty station.

* * *

Alex watched sleepily from her position on the bed as Maggie read fairytale after fairytale to the bouncing toddler on her lap. Occasionally, Kara's hand would stray to her feeding tube and Maggie would gently pull her hand away, chastising the child in her sweetest voice before redirecting her attention to the story.

Kara had been able to eat a light dinner but Hamilton was still concerned the child wasn't getting enough calories so for now the tube remained. The toddler had slept for a few hours but was currently up and running despite the late hour. Alex and Maggie had been able to nap as well and now it seemed the detective was destined to read every fairytale in Kara's book!

Alex sighed happily, leaning her aching head back on the pillows. Her mother and Lena were currently testing the serum Lillian had given her and the injured agent had been confined to the med-bay. It was probably for the best as her vision still swam, her head was throbbing and a black cast and sling once again immobilized her dominant left arm.

She had almost fallen back asleep, lulled by the soft tone of her fiancée's voice, when the entire med-bay was bathed in red lights, alarms blaring!

"What the hell?!" Maggie exclaimed, gripping Kara tighter as the little girl began to cry. Alex was already on her feet.

"Mags, you and Kara stay here." She ordered as she grabbed her gun and inched cautiously toward the door.

"Alex, don't!" Maggie moved to stop her, a hysterical Kara on her hip.

"Maggie, I don't have time to argue!" Alex hissed, peeking into the hall. "Just _stay_. Please."

As soon as she received a begrudging nod, she stepped into the hallway, tossing the other woman her access card.

"Lock this door behind me and don't open it until I come back. Got it?"

"I got it." Maggie agreed with a frown. "Please be careful this time, yeah?"

"I'll do my best." She whispered with a small smile before disappearing into the hall, the glass doors sliding closed behind her.

* * *

"Sir?" Vasquez had been noticeably confused when J'onn strolled into the command center just moments after leaving. "Is everything alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be, _agent_?" He snapped back at her causing the agent to pause.

J'onn had called her 'agent', not 'Susan' or even 'Vasquez'. The director knew all his agents personally, yet he was currently struggling to remember her name?

"Identify yourself." She demanded, turning to face the director, hand on her sidearm.

"Stand down, agent." He growled at her and she _knew_.

"Identify yourself." She stated again, weapon now drawn. The rest of the command center followed suit, trusting the other woman's instincts.

J'onn turned towards her with a feral smile. "You're smarter than you look..." He remarked as he unleashed a brutal blow, flinging the agent into the wall of monitors!

* * *

Alex made her way quickly but methodically through the halls until she heard a commotion up ahead. She charged into the command center to find her adopted father soundly trouncing agent after agent!

"J'onn? J'onn, stop!" She raised her weapon and fired a warning shot over his shoulder causing him to turn towards her slowly.

"There you are." He whispered as he started towards her menacingly, his left eye glowing red as the skin melted around it!

"Henshaw!" Alex gasped and stumbled back as she continued firing on him to no effect.

"Come with me Danvers or I'll burn this place to the ground."

"How did you find us?" She asked to no one in particular, knowing the DEO was too well hidden to be stumbled upon. Just as he moved to answer, it hit her. "The cure! You traced its chemical makeup, somehow."

"Luthor was right." He mused, slapping her gun away as he closed his large hand around her throat! "You _are_ smarter than your father."

"Put her down!" Alex managed to barely make out the form of Maggie pointing the alien gun at the cyborg.

He turned towards her, still holding Alex by the throat, a menacing glint in that glowing red eye. The detective barely had time to dodge as the same red laser from their last meeting shot towards her!

She landed hard behind the main console, momentarily losing sight of Alex. When she located her again, Maggie's heart sank as Henshaw had Alex pinned against a wall while he kept the other agents at bay with his laser eye. Alex was frantically clawing at her throat but making little progress with only one arm. Maggie could tell her fiancée was on the verge of passing out and there wasn't a damned thing she could do!

" **NO**!" Just as all hope seemed to be lost, a scream filled with rage tore through the space causing everyone to freeze! "Put sissy down!"

Maggie shot up from her hiding place to see little Kara staring the cyborg down all by herself! How the hell had she gotten out of a locked room? There wasn't time to wonder as she had successfully pulled the villain's attention.

"Shit! Kara, no!" She was terrified what the murderous cyborg would do to the helpless child.

Henshaw smirked as Alex choked out a pitiful "Kara", her consciousness slipping away. When the little girl saw the man still holding her sister, she stomped her tiny foot and all in the space heard the unmistakable cracking of concrete!

Maggie's eyes widened in realization. Did she just-? Little Kara wasn't supposed to have any powers.

"Put sissy down, papa!" Kara demanded and before anyone could focus on the case of mistaken identity, twin beams of light shot from the child's eyes!

Alex used the distraction to her advantage, pushing off the wall with her feet to shove the cyborg into Kara's path. Henshaw was struck in the chest, the blast throwing him far away from Alex and off the balcony! Alex slumped to the floor, narrowly avoiding landing on her broken arm. Maggie was moving across the room towards her girls in the blink of an eye.

She scooped Kara up, cradling the child to her chest as she drooped with fatigue. And then she was on her knees beside Alex, Kara clinging to her as she frantically checked the other woman over.

"Babe! Ally, it's okay." She assured her, grabbing the agent's shaking hand and pressing it to her chest. " _Breathe_ , babe! Just like me. In and out. Just like that."

The trio was so focused on one another that they barely noticed the commotion surrounding them; the agents huddling into a perimeter to protect the family in case Henshaw wasn't in fact gone.

"What the hell?" J'onn asked as he stormed into the command center, in Martian form.

"Sir!" Vasquez limped to greet him. "Thank God it's you!"

"What does that-? _Henshaw_!" He concluded, jaw clenched in anger. "Where is he now?"

"Hopefully, splattered across the 405, sir." Vasquez responded before clarifying. "Turns out Supergirl is still _super_ , even tiny."

J'onn was torn between going after his villainous doppelganger and tending to his children. He moved to where Maggie was currently trying to comfort both Danvers with less than positive results.

"Maggie?" Her head shot up as he called her name, eyes red with unshed tears. He reached out to take Kara but she waved him off.

"No, I got this." She told him determinedly. "Go find that bastard."

He nodded curtly; pausing to squeeze her shoulder in reassurance before he headed out, ordering a lockdown as he went. If Henshaw was anywhere nearby, 'Space-Dad' wasn't taking any more chances with his children's lives. As soon as he left the balcony, the DEO was surrounded by bulletproof glass and an ironclad security system. The only person besides him with a high enough security clearance to end the lockdown was Alex.

Maggie had turned her attention back to her girls as soon as J'onn had left. Alex's breathing had calmed but she was drifting in and out of consciousness and Kara wasn't much better off.

"Oh my God!" A startled voice caught Maggie's attention. She glanced up to see a horrified Eliza rushing towards them.

As soon as the Danvers matron got close enough, Kara sleepily reached out for her foster mother. Eliza clutched Kara tightly to her, the mother's eyes instantly drawn to her eldest. Lying prone on the floor, Alex's head was resting in the detective's lap.

"It's okay, baby." Maggie whispered to her, oblivious to anyone but her injured mate.

"Detective!" Lena stumbled through the rubble towards them, a DEO medical crew on her heels. With the younger woman's help, Maggie lifted Alex onto the stretcher and hurriedly followed her fiancée back to the med-bay.

"What happened?" Lena asked, falling into step beside her with Eliza following closely behind.

"Henshaw showed up, disguised as J'onn and all hell broke loose. He tracked your serum or something..." Maggie was having a hard time focusing when her mate was once again injured. "Oh, and whatever you did to Little Danvers must be working 'cuz her powers came back."

Lena grabbed Maggie's arm in shock! "What?! When?"

"Just now, actually. If it hadn't been for her..." Maggie's eyes drifted back to Alex as Hamilton once again began checking the agent's injuries over.

Before Lena could inquire further, Eliza rushed in cradling a semi-conscious Kara. She quickly positioned the child on a bed, flicking on the red sunlamps since a super-powered toddler could be highly unpredictable.

* * *

"Dammit..." Maggie muttered, tugging a hand through her hair in frustration. They couldn't catch a break!

Two days ago her biggest problem was whether or not she wanted to be a mother and today she had a sick super-powered alien toddler and a murderous cyborg intent on kidnapping or killing her fiancée. She paced the hallway like a caged animal for the next half hour; too jittery to standby while her girls were being treated. Just as her thoughts started to spiral, a scream from the med-bay pulled her attention.

"Ally!"

She stumbled into the room to find her fiancée sitting up in bed, chest heaving frantically, and eyes wild. Eliza had rushed to her child, clutching her daughter's head to her chest, murmuring assurances. Maggie hastened over and began rubbing gentle circles on the other woman's back, running her hands in soothing patterns. The detective spotted Hamilton in the corner and moved to intercept the doctor.

"Is she okay?" She asked, voice tight with concern. The doctor nodded shakily in response.

"Yes, I mean she will be. I know the bruising looks bad but there were no crush injuries. Talking will be painful for awhile but her airways are clear. It seems as if he wanted to restrain her more than hurt her."

She absorbed the information as best she could, her mind running at light speed. She was okay; he didn't want to hurt her. Even though she was grateful for that fact, the reason behind it was terrifying. He was there to _get_ Alex, bring her back to Lillian for God knows what. She looked up to spot J'onn hurrying down the hall and quickly moved to intercept him.

"Any sign of Henshaw? " She asked hopefully.

"None. It looks like that snake has disappeared back into his hole. Our only hope now is the tracker Alex put on Luthor." He turned to enter the med-bay only to have Maggie block his path.

"Woah, hey. It might be best for you not to go in there..." She told him, eyes everywhere but on his face.

"Why is that?" His voice was rife with irritation. He needed to see his children, why was Maggie preventing it?

"Kara saw _you_ , well the other you, attack Alex. She's a little kid so I think the whole alien vs. cyborg thing is going to go way over her head. Plus, her powers are back so...yeah... best not to agitate her."

J'onn's shoulders slumped in defeat at her explanation. He knew she was right but that didn't make it hurt any less. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder as Winn rushed up to them!

"This is officially like the worst day EVER!" He exclaimed, tablet in hand. "I would have been here sooner but I had to override the security to create new firewalls and figure out how the evil tin man got in..."

"Any progress?" J'onn asked as he took the tablet from Winn.

"Not yet but I'm on it. In the meantime, old Lillian's signal is still pinging strong."

"Then let's pay her a visit." J'onn growled, transforming in a flash of red light.

"Wait!" Maggie exclaimed. "I'm going with you."

"Are you sure, Maggie?"

"I can't take waiting around here anymore." She asserted, staring him in the eye. "If Luthor is targeting my family, than I have to do everything I can to keep them safe. I can't do that from here."

"Very well. Just do me one favor?"

"Yeah, sure." She answered with a confused expression.

"Tell Alex goodbye."

Maggie's heart clenched at the implication but she nodded quickly before going to grant his request. Alex was still sitting up in the bed, face turned into her mother's stomach as the other woman rocked her gently.

"Hey baby..." Maggie greeted her in the softest voice she could manage. Alex moved to respond but Maggie held up a hand to stop her. "Don't talk baby, it'll only make it hurt worse. I just need you to listen real quick, okay?"

Alex nodded, eyes wide in anticipation.

"The tracker you put on Lillian is pinging and J'onn's going to go check it out." A small smile appeared on her fiancées' face but quickly fell when Maggie continued. "And I'm going with him."

Alex sat up straighter at that, head shaking violently, tears pooling in her eyes. Maggie grabbed her face gently, thumbing away the tears that had already managed to fall.

"Hey. Hey, it's okay. J'onn's gonna need some back up and you and Kara are in the best possible hands." She spared a watery glance at Eliza and the mother nodded her agreement. "I'm coming back just like you did. Stay here. Rest. J'onn and I are gonna make sure that Lillian can never hurt you or Kara again."

"Love...you..." Alex gasped, throat burning from even that simple gesture.

"You too. _Forever_." Maggie agreed, kissing her gently. When she pulled away, she felt Alex press something into her hand. She looked down and smiled. "Babe, you're giving me your gun?"

Alex nodded gingerly before pushing Maggie towards the door. "Bring it...back...yeah?"

"Yeah."

Maggie grabbed Alex's coat off a chair, shrugging it on with a knowing look. She headed out the door, flashing a dimple-filled smile before she was gone.


	9. Into The Lion's Den

**Maggie leads the charge as the DEO works overtime to find Kara a cure! Lena, Alex and Eliza are working tirelessly but their solution may be too little too late. Will a familiar face help 'Detective Dimples' bring Lillian down and secure the cure? Or will Cadmus succeed in taking the life of one more Danvers?**

* * *

Lena glanced up from her microscope when she heard the lab door slide open. She was expecting Eliza to be returning from checking on her daughters in the med-bay. Instead, she was surprised to see Alex moving gingerly through the door.

"Hey..."Alex rasped and Lena was instantly on her feet, moving towards the injured agent.

"Hey! Are you supposed to be up and around?" She asked as she quickly guided Alex to a chair.

Lena couldn't suppress a small smile as she noted Alex had her fiancée's NCPD windbreaker draped around her shoulders. The couple's insistence on wearing one another's clothes was ridiculously adorable. She fixed the agent with a serious look and an arched eyebrow as Alex had yet to answer her question.

"Tired...of ...resting." Alex managed with a smirk and a half-shrug. Lena winced at how painful it seemed to be for the agent to speak.

"I'll make you a deal," she told the older girl with a smile. "I'll hide you here in the lab with me if you promise to relax..."

Alex moved to answer but Lena held up her hand to stop her.

" _And_ you don't talk."

The agent pouted for a moment. She would probably have crossed her arms if it hadn't been for the sling. With a frustrated huff she nodded her agreement.

"Good. How about some tea? It may help your throat."

Another nod.

Lena moved to the other side of the lab where the CEO had a large beaker bubbling on a hot plate. She quickly poured the contents into two DEO mugs before adding a copious amount of honey, then presented one cup to Alex; the agent quirked an eyebrow at the Luthor's resourcefulness.

"What? I can't run down to that dreadful mess hall every time I want a spot of tea and I have been far too occupied to ask for an electric kettle..."Alex raised her cup and Lena clinked hers against in appreciation. She tried not to stare at the ghastly bruises circling the other woman's neck.

Meanwhile, the agent was appraising Lena's current wardrobe. The normally impeccably dressed woman was currently sporting a set of grey DEO sweats, a pair of running shoes that she was pretty sure belonged to Kara, and her hair was pulled up into a messy-bun away from her makeup-less face. The wardrobe changes made her look impossibly young; like a harried college student instead of a world-renowned CEO.

After a few minutes of quietly sipping their tea, Alex popped up and began emphatically gesturing for a tablet! Len handed the agent the one nearest to them. Alex set her cup down and began to type furiously. Lena was shocked when the agent jabbed her final button and the tablet _spoke_!

 _"I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner!"_ A robotic voice exclaimed. The rhythm of the speech was just slightly off but the words were clear.

"What on earth?!"

Alex smiled widely and began typing again.

 _"It's a program we use to communicate with alien refugees._ " The robotic voice explained.

"Like AAC devices used to help non-verbal children communicate."

 _"Exactly."_ Agreed, "Robot Alex".

"How do you know if the refugees will be able to operate it?"

Alex huffed and rolled her eyes as she typed, _"EVERYONE knows how to use an I-pad._ "

"Good point." Lena conceded. "Now that we can communicate, how is Kara doing?"

Sadness swept over the agent as she typed her answer. " _Sleeping. At least now the sun lamps are helping some but we really need that cure. How far have you gotten?"_

"Not as far as we would like to be." Lena groused, pulling up the data for Alex to review. "The cure my mother gave us was real but it was only the first half..."

Alex leaned in close as Lena began to lie out their findings. Lillian's serum was based on the same principal's as the temporary fix the young woman had concocted with Eliza yet far more concentrated, meaning it would be extremely painful to Kara once administered. Such cruelty wouldn't bother Cadmus but no one at the DEO would willingly cause Kara unnecessary pain.

The serum currently in their possession would be enough to accelerate Kara's age but only to around eight or nine. For the process to be complete it would take at least three doses, each more painful than the previous as Kara's muscles and bones grew at an unnatural rate! Worse yet, it would take them another day and a half to synthesize the right amount of serum as well as the correct concentration and they couldn't be sure Kara's improvement would continue without another dose soon.

Alex frowned deeply as she typed. " _Call Winn. J'onn and Maggie need to make sure that they get the rest of the serum...no matter what."_

* * *

Maggie huffed in frustration as she crouched beside the DEO tactical van watching the warehouse where Lillian was hopefully hiding. There were no obvious entrances and even though they were disguised as vagrants, she counted at least a dozen Cadmus agents milling about the property. She guessed the men were heavily armed plus they couldn't rely on Henshaw staying down for too long.

Not mention the now added stress of curing Kara on a running clock.

"Shit." She muttered, earning a chastising glare from 'Space dad'. Maggie rolled her eyes in response. "I'm sure you've heard worse..."

"Doesn't mean I like it." He retorted with a ghost of a smile.

They both turned at the sound of an approaching motorcycle, weapons at the ready as the rest of their team stood on high alert. A dark, familiar figure approached and they all let out a sigh of relief.

"I heard we were taking down Cadmus today." A deep baritone joked as the helmet was removed to reveal a beaming grin! "Can I join the party?"

"JAMES!" Maggie exclaimed, launching herself at the tall vigilante. He caught her easily with one arm, wrapping her in a crushing embrace.

"You should have called me." He told her in a serious tone once the pair separated. Maggie glanced away guiltily.

"To be honest, we kinda thought we had it under control..." She muttered, rubbing her neck in embarrassment. "Wait...who told you?"

"Uh, hello? Your resident tech-nerd is also my 'man-in-the-van'. I had literally just landed at NC International when Winn let me in on what's been going on. So what's the plan?"

All eyes turned to J'onn as his eyes glowed red and a mischievous smirk spread across his face.

* * *

"There you are!" Alex visibly jumped as her mother's voice permeated the silence of the lab. "You were supposed to stay in the med-bay, Alexandra."

Lena was torn between watching the ensuing argument and quietly slipping out the back door of the lab. She knew a thing or two about fighting with one's mother and usually things said in the heat of the moment were not for public consumption.

Alex rose shakily to face her mother, the windbreaker slipping off her shoulders to reveal even more bruising underneath her thin tank. Lena suppressed a gasp because she really wasn't supposed to even be there, let alone adding to the tension.

"I...needed to ...work...on the cure..." The agent ground out; voice still full of gravel despite rest and the tea, leaning heavily on the lab's countertop.

"You have done enough!" Eliza wasn't sure why she was yelling but her emotions were threadbare and she was exhausted.

All she wanted was for her children to be safe and healthy; at the moment they were neither. Lillian had successfully poisoned one child, blown up and beaten the other and then sent her killer cyborg to finish the job! Any mother in her right mind would be at her wits end. Not to mention she was also currently tasked with curing said sick child while ensuring the other followed doctors orders.

"Mom..."

"No! Don't you 'mom' me." Eliza retorted, arms crossed. "I have been scared for you ever since I got here and every time I start to relax a little, something else happens! Are you trying to give me a stroke, Alexandra?"

Alex laughed a little at that, causing the elder Danvers to crack a small smile.

"It is _not_ funny young lady. You shouldn't worry your poor mother so..." Eliza pouted, some of the tension in the room already dissipating. "And _you_ , Lena..."

The younger woman gaped in horror! "Dr. Danvers, I didn't mean...Alex clearly wanted to help...and she _is_ a doctor herself..."

"Traitor." Alex 'coughed' behind her mother with a smirk before the coughing became all too real!

She hunched over trying to catch her breath as both women moved to support her. They forced the agent into a chair before Lena raced over to the comm, notifying Hamilton of the agent's condition.

"It's...okay...I'm okay..." she gasped out, though no one in the room actually believed it.

"Sweetie _look_ at yourself." Eliza whispered, face awash in concern. "You should be in _bed_. I know how badly you want to help but I won't sacrifice you to save your sister."

Before Alex could respond, Hamilton bustled in with two medics and a rolling stretcher. The trio had Alex on the bed quickly, an oxygen mask in place as the doctor checked the agent's vitals for what felt like the tenth time in as many hours. She readied an injection before speaking to her patient.

"This is a light sedative, Alex. It won't put you to sleep but it should help you relax. I'm mixing in some morphine as well. Judging from your blood pressure, I'm guessing you're in more pain than you're letting on."

Alex didn't respond and the doctor moved forward with her treatment plan, happy that for once the younger woman was being compliant. Eliza gripped her daughter's hand, stroking her face gently as Alex's breathing evened out and her body began to relax.

"Alright, Alex." Hamilton tried to sound chipper though her eyes were tight with worry. "Let's get you back to your sister."

"No." Alex pulled the mask down so she could be heard. "I...wanna...stay..."

"Alex!" Eliza protested but her daughter shook her head hard in response.

" _Please_...mom..."

Eliza looked from her daughter to the doctor. Hamilton sighed before responding. "You can stay... _for now_. But you must remain in bed and keep the mask on."

"We'll call you if anything changes." Lena piped up as she draped Maggie's jacket over Alex's torso. The agent gave her a grateful smile, only her eyes visible over the mask.

The doctor huffed as she left, instructing one of the medics to remain close by but not to enter the lab unless it was an emergency.

"What am I going to with you?" Eliza sighed, kissing her daughter gently on the forehead. Lena approached with two tablets in hand, laying one across the agent's lap.

"Now that we've got everyone settled. We have a serum to synthesize..."

* * *

Lillian Luthor couldn't believe her eyes as a Supergirl-shaped hole was blown through the steel-reinforced wall of her stronghold! She eyed the super with barely contained rage, wondering how the hell the DEO had managed to track her. She knew for a fact that after Henshaw had failed to bring her Alex, he effectively gave the Martian the slip.

Alex. _Of course_...

"That little bitch is far too smart for her own good." Lillian murmured as she stood to face her adversary. "Tell your sister she will regret the day she crossed me." The woman spat as she eyed the overly smug super.

"You're just upset that even the great Lillian Luthor can be duped by a tiny tracker." 'Supergirl' teased, keeping the attention of the warehouses occupants on her as Maggie, James and the rest of the DEO team snuck in through an unguarded door on the roof.

James and J'onn had been able to make quick work of the agents surrounding the warehouse, mostly due to the Martian's ability to phase through walls and change his appearance. Paired with Guardian's gadgets and his DEO combat training, James was equally effective though somewhat obvious. The group worked their way silently down the stairs leading into the warehouse led by James with Maggie between he and the DEO team. All in the group were eager to get the detective back to Alex in one piece, hence the protective formation.

" _Enough_ of this." Lillian snarled as her men raised their weapons, ammunition clips glowing green and bright. "Perhaps you and I can spend some time in the lab yet..." At that her men began to rain down buckets of kryptonite ammunition on 'Kara'!

"NOW!" James yelled as he, Maggie and the DEO team opened fire on the Cadmus agents, effectively flanking them. Originally the vigilante had refused a weapon but he was currently making good use of the energy rifle.

Maggie headed towards a cordoned off area, the lab, if the chemistry sets littering the area were any indication. If the cure were anywhere in this warehouse, it would be there. Alex was counting on her to get the rest of the serum and she refused to fail her. Kara was her little sister too; there was no way she was leaving this warehouse empty-handed. She would beat it out of Lillian if she had to.

The tiny detective dropped two Cadmus agents guarding the area before launching herself across the chrome table to land a kick squarely to the chest of another! She jumped to her feet quickly as James incapacitated the man with a hard strike from his shield. Outside the room, the battle with 'Supergirl' and Lillian's cronies was still raging and the pair knew it was only a matter of time before their search would be interrupted.

"Check over there." Maggie directed with a frantic wave as she rifled through the lab in search of the drug. Lena had sent her a picture of the vial they currently had so she at least had an idea what to look for. To her left she spotted a refrigerator. "Yes!"

She hastened to it and rifled through the vials it contained, hoping that nothing she was currently touching was infectious. A cluster of vials toward the back caught her attention. She quickly compared the tubes to the picture then began placing them in the padded suitcase they'd brought along.

"Maggie!" She heard 'Kara's' voice over the comm's. "I can't hold them much longer!"

"I got it!" She yelled back, grabbing the case and turning in time to find herself staring down the barrel of Lillian Luthor's gun!

"I believe you have something that belongs to me." Lillian sneered down at her. "You didn't really think the Martian in Supergirl's clothing would fool me twice did you?"

"There's no way you're walking out of here, Luthor." Maggie raised her chin in defiance, keeping the case as far out of the other woman's reach as she could.

"Oh, please." Lillian scoffed. "Give me the case, detective. Go home; cuddle your precious Agent Danvers. I'm giving you a chance to live another day. Take it."

"And what about Kara?"

Lillian rolled her eyes. "The kryptonian was dead before you ever came onto the scene detective. Now give me the case and go comfort Agent Danvers, as her beloved sibling dies a slow, _painful_ death. That is _if_ she can forgive you for failing to secure the serum."

"Go to hell, Luthor." Maggie spat, backing up a step, the firefight still raging behind them.

"You first." Lillian raised an eyebrow as she prepared to shoot, only to find J'onn's strong forearm wrapped around her windpipe!

"Drop it Luthor." He growled as the woman set her revolver down on the table, grunting, as he pressed harder on her windpipe.

"Get down!" Maggie yelled as he pulled Lillian's arms behind her preparing to cuff them. He yanked the woman to the ground as Maggie unleashed an unusually powerful energy beam from Alex's gun.

J'onn turned his head to see Henshaw staring at them with a blank look, a gaping hole in his chest! The kickback from the gun nearly knocked Maggie off her feet and she stared at in awe. Clearly, Alex had been playing with the weapon's settings. Henshaw stumbled a few feet before collapsing in a heap.

" _Whoa_." James whistled long and low. "Alex really knows her way around a laser gun."

"Apparently." Maggie agreed, suddenly afraid to tuck the weapon back in her waistband. "I need a ride back to the DEO. You got this?" She asked J'onn as she moved to follow Guardian out the door.

"Go." He replied, hauling Lillian to her feet as he eyed the incapacitated Henshaw. "I've already requested back up."

"Here." She handed him Alex's gun. "In case the bastard gets up."

She was about to head out when she remembered something. Turning back to Lillian she slammed her fist into the other woman's face!

" _That_ is for my family!" She yelled. " I swear if you _ever_ come after us again, I will put that gun," she pointed at the weapon in J'onn's hand, "Between your eyes and _pull the trigger_."

Maggie took one last look at the now defunct criminal leader and smiled inwardly at her handiwork. Alex would be proud, that had been one hell of a right hook.


	10. I Thought You'd Be Happy

**Maggie and James return triumphant, serum in hand but is it truly for the best? How will Alex deal with the thought of giving Kara up? Plus, Eliza dispenses some hard truths on her daughter-in-law to be and Maggie realizes she still has a lot of soul-searching to do.**

* * *

"Ally!"

Alex nearly fainted with relief when she spotted the tiny brunette, nearly swallowed by her battered leather jacket, striding confidently towards her in the command center. All decorum flew out the window as the other woman grabbed her by the NCPD windbreaker and kissed her soundly in front of all present. Alex returned the kiss with fervor; immensely relieved that Maggie had returned from her crusade seemingly no worse for wear.

"You okay?" The agent asked, teary eyes raking over her fiancée for any sign of injury. Her voice sounded considerably better than it had a few hours prior, no longer flinchingly painful.

"Yeah. Yeah, babe I'm good." Maggie replied, pressing her forehead back against the other woman's. "You?"

"Getting there." Alex replied sincerely, relief evident in her voice. She glanced over Maggie's shoulder and her eyes grew wide! "James!" she exclaimed as loud as her battered voice would allow.

The vigilante in question rushed toward her, arms outstretched and quickly smothered the agent in the gentlest bear hug her could muster, lifting her off her feet. He set her down gingerly, pressing a small kiss against her hairline before he ducked to meet her eyes.

"You should have called me." He chastised her, just as he had Maggie earlier that night. "You okay?" Alex nodded jerkily, her emotions quickly overwhelming her.

James pulled her against his chest again as the trio wordlessly made their way to the med-bay. They stopped just outside the glass doors, James mouth slightly agape at how tiny Kara looked. Maggie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder knowing she would be equally perturbed if it were Alex in such a state. He swallowed loudly before stepping back.

"You guys, uh, go ahead." He mumbled. "I'm gonna check in with Winn, see if J'onn needs any help transporting the prisoners."

Both women nodded their understanding, each offering him a grateful hug before they let him go. Lena met them at the door, practically vibrating with excitement as she led them over to Kara who was awake and cuddling with Eliza. The moment she laid eyes on Alex, however, everyone else was forgotten. Her big sister wasted no time scooping her onto her hip as the child circled her neck with her little arms, securely anchoring herself to her sibling.

"Maggie!" Eliza exclaimed as she wrapped the smaller woman in her arms. "Thank goodness."

The detective returned the embrace, relishing in having a fussing mother figure if only for the moment. Eliza pulled back, framing her face with her hands, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"I'm okay." She assured the Danvers matron before offering the woman the padded briefcase. "And hopefully after we use this, Little Danvers will be too."

A sharp gasp from behind her pulled her attention and she turned just in time to see Alex hurrying out the door, Kara in tow. Everyone in the room looked after them confused. Maggie was the first to spring to action, chasing after the siblings trying to still her panic. Eliza followed quickly, leaving a bewildered Lena and Hamilton behind.

* * *

It didn't take Maggie long to locate the pair.

She knew Alex wouldn't risk Kara by going too far and the Danvers siblings both felt at ease under the stars. Taking the steps two at time, she quickly found herself on the roof, sighing with relief to find Alex siting there, Kara settled happily on her lap as her sister pointed out the different constellations.

"You see that one, baby?" Alex whispered, pointing to a particularly brilliant star. Kara dutifully turned her attention upwards, listening intently. "That's my favorite because it's the brightest, the most beautiful...it reminds me of you."

Little Kara beamed as her sister placed a kiss on her forehead before pulling the child closer. Maggie watched from the doorway, unsure whether she should interfere. The decision was made for her when Eliza, in her haste to locate her girls, stumbled through the door behind her, causing the startled pair to look their way!

"It's okay, baby." Alex soothed the toddler quickly. "It's just your Mama and Maggie being silly."

Kara smiled too, encouraged by her sister's reaction. "Silly, Mama! Silly Maggie!" she exclaimed, all smiles and giggles. "You scare me!"

Maggie smiled down at the child easily, still noting the tension in Alex's shoulders as she held the child close. "Sorry munchkin." She told her gently as she stroked the child's hair. "We were just wondering where you and sissy got off to?"

"Sissy show me stars!" Kara exclaimed, gesturing widely to the sky. "So pretty!"

"Yeah baby they are pretty. Just like you!" Maggie bopped the child on the nose gently and Kara burst into a fit of giggles. Alex on the other hand remained stoic throughout the exchange, not meeting Maggie's eyes or even acknowledging her mother on the rooftop.

"Alexandra?" Eliza called gently, kneeling on the other side of her daughters. Both she and Maggie noted the tremble in Alex's lip, the glassy eyes she turned toward them, filled to the brim with unshed tears.

"I can't do this..." She whispered, turning to press another kiss to Kara's head as the toddler finally noted her sibling's dour mood. The little girl wiggled around until she was facing Alex, placing tiny hands on her big sister's face.

"Why sissy cwy?" She asked before her little face settled with determination. "Sissy no cwy." She stated planting a kiss on each of Alex's eyes, then her cheeks. "Love sissy."

"I love you too baby." Alex told her sincerely; face still turned downward, shoulders hunched in sorrow. Perturbed as to why her kisses hadn't fixed the problem, Kara snuggled closer, one hand fisting her sister's shirt, the other running gently up and down her sister's cast as if she knew the limb was hurt.

"Ally?" Maggie ventured, placing a hand gently on her fiancée's back. "Babe, what's going on? I thought you'd be happy. Everything is gonna be okay."

"No, it's not." Alex replied, turning teary eyes to her. "I'm not ready to let her go..."

"Sweetheart." Eliza sighed, reaching out to stroke Alex's hair before pressing a gentle kiss to it.

"I know..."Alex stammered, "I know I have no right to keep her...like this but...I'm not ready to let _this_ Kara go." She finished with a sob, pulling the child closer, wishing she had two arms to truly hold onto the little girl with.

"Ally." Maggie sighed, unsure of how to fix this problem. She'd thought the serum was the solution to their current crisis but she hadn't once considered the effect actually curing Kara would have on her mate. "What do you need? What can I do?"

"I need more time..."Alex sobbed openly now, causing Little Kara to cry too! "With her... _please_ mom...we need more time." She turned sorrowful eyes to Eliza who seemed to be on the verge of an emotional collapse as well.

She knew why Alex felt this way; had known since her girl's were young how badly Alex had wanted to protect Kara, how sorry she was that her little sister's life had started out with more bad memories than good. The eldest Danvers had done her best to rectify the situation, to give Kara her all. Now she had a chance to love Kara well, to love her from the beginning. Eliza knew how painful it must be to have to give that up, to give the little girl away. She couldn't cause Alex more pain than she already had...

"Then we'll make time..."She whispered to her daughter. Maggie eyed Eliza with a quizzical look but kept her attention on the distraught siblings, not at all sure she liked where this was headed.

* * *

Once they were able to coax Alex down from the roof, Eliza explained to the group her plans for allowing her daughters a bit more time together. According to all their findings, Kara's current improvement would last for at least another three days before she would require her next dose. It wasn't a lot of time but it was all the mother could give. If they waited any longer, all their calculations would be rendered useless and they would have to start synthesizing the serum anew putting Kara further at risk.

Maggie hadn't been particularly pleased about the Danvers matron's plan in the beginning but she could now see how much Alex needed this. If she were being honest with herself, she would miss little Kara too. The child was sweet and loving and intelligent beyond her years. Not to mention her devotion to Alex. The little girl, much like her adult self, looked at her sister as if she had hung the stars. There was no one that meant more to the toddler than Alex. The look of pure adoration on that little face when she saw her sibling was surely something to be missed.

It wasn't a goodbye, not really, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

Maggie and Eliza had gone over the plan with J'onn, in his office, because Kara still wouldn't go anywhere near him. Maggie knew how much that must have hurt the man but he kept a stiff upper lip for his girls, pushing his own feelings aside to do what was best for them.

Which was why he had agreed to let Maggie take her girls home and let them enjoy their last few days together.

Since her fight with Henshaw, Kara's solar flare had left her as ordinary as any other two year old and her condition was currently stable. There was no real reason for her to stay at the DEO. Alex was released into her fiancées care because she still had a concussion and a broken arm, both injuries making taking care of a toddler a difficult task. Vasquez loaded all of Kara's things into one of the black government SUV's and the trio quietly made their way home, an air of sadness looming overhead.

* * *

"Hey, Eliza." Maggie spoke quietly into the phone as she kept an eye on the big bed across the room. "Yeah. Everything's okay over here..."

Once she'd gotten the siblings home, the trio shared a small dinner: just one pizza divided amongst the three of them, something that hadn't ever happened that Maggie could remember. She'd then forced her stubborn agent to take her antibiotics and the pain pills Alex seemed to hate so much before ushering the pair into the bathroom to cleanup.

Maggie had run them a warm bubble bath, which Kara had immensely enjoyed! Alex was less excited but Maggie assumed it had more to do with her saran-wrapped cast than the activity. Despite her mobility issues, Alex had splashed and played with her baby sister until the bubbles went flat and the water had cooled. Maggie had been able to get some especially adorable shots of Kara and Alex with bubble-beards as well as one of the little girl wrapped in her hooded Supergirl towel, cuddled lovingly by her big sister.

The siblings were now snuggled tightly in Alex's bed, clad in soft PJ's, intently watching FROZEN, a big bowl of ice cream between them. Every other bite, Alex would feed her little sister, making sure that the little one didn't spill on her jammies or get too much. Even though Kara still loved the sugary confection, her normal toddler-sized tummy simply couldn't handle that much sugar. Maggie watched them from the kitchen convinced this had been the right decision...oddly enough, it was now Eliza who needed convincing.

"Yes, Eliza, they're both fine. Kara's not running a temperature and Alex took all her meds and I made sure she ate first. I've got it under control."

The protective mother finally relented, instructing Maggie to call her first thing in the morning so she could come spend time with her girls and to call her _immediately_ if anything changed. The detective hung up the phone with a smile; grateful Eliza had chosen to stay at Kara's for the night.

"Maggie!" a little voice squealed from the bedroom and the detective quickly put her phone on the charger and slipped into the bed.

"What did I miss?" She asked the excited little blonde even though they had all seen the movie at least a hundred times.

"It's Elsa, Maggie!" Kara exclaimed pointing to the screen with a chubby little hand. "And, Olaf!"

"No way! Those are both my favorite." She replied, pressing a kiss to Kara's hair. The child's attention was riveted to the screen as Elsa belted out 'Let It Go'. Maggie glanced over Kara's head to find Alex watching her with teary eyes.

"Thank you." She told her simply, leaning over the child to steal a quick kiss.

Maggie just nodded in return, cheeks flushing at the gratitude. She set the empty ice cream bowl aside shifting closer so she could wrap a protective arm around Alex. Kara quickly scrambled onto their laps, lying contently against her sister's chest, tiny feet propped up on Maggie's legs. Her eyes were glued intently to the screen; her stuffed dog hugged tightly against her chest, absentmindedly scratching her nose where the tube had been.

Alex soon dozed off, the pain meds finally taking effect and Kara kept her ear glued to her sister's chest, little eyes drooping until finally the familiar heartbeat lulled her to sleep as well. Maggie quietly flipped the TV off before tiptoeing to the other side of the bed to settle extra pillows around Alex in case Kara rolled in the night.

She crept through the house, dimming the lights instead of turning them off, because Kara was afraid of the dark, and setting the alarm before finally sliding back into bed. Tucking the toddler's feet under the covers, she ensured the child wasn't lying on her sister's injured limb before she lay back and secured the covers over the three of them. Maggie lay awake for a while simply observing her tiny family and she couldn't shake the feeling that some part of this felt oh so, right...

* * *

The next morning Maggie awoke to the most adorable of sights.

Her girls were snuggled on Alex's side of the bed; the elder Danvers was flat on her back with Kara strewn across her sister's chest. Alex had her broken arm draped over Kara's waist and her other hand cupped the back of the child's head protectively. Both their mouths hung open and Maggie noted how the pair seemed to have kicked off their covers in the night.

With a quiet chuckle, she snapped a quick pic then eased herself out of bed, adjusting the blankets back around the sleeping duo. She had just started making her morning tea when there was a quiet knock at the door. After a cautious peek through the peephole, she disarmed the alarm and ushered Eliza inside.

"They're still sleeping." She told the concerned mother quietly and when Eliza glanced over at the bed, a large smile broke out on her face.

"Just like when they were younger..." She mused, settling on the bar stool while Maggie put on a pot of coffee. "Kara would always sleep on Alex's chest, no matter that she was taller than Alex or _heavier_." The mother added with a small chuckle.

"Ally really is a natural at this..." Maggie murmured. "She really is amazing with her. I never gave having kids much thought but with Alex...once she's around a kid, it's like she hardly thought of anything else."

Eliza hummed in agreement. "Alexandra has always known what she wants. It's one of the many things that makes her amazing and easy to love but sometimes that can also be difficult." The mother added eyeing Maggie as she sipped her coffee.

" I assume she told you?" The younger woman sighed.

"Told me what dear?" Eliza asked with a feigned expression of innocence.

"That I don't want a family."

Eliza shrugged, taking another sip. "It seems to me that you already have one."

"Eliza," Maggie sighed again. "You know what I mean. I don't want feedings and diaper changes and bedtime stories. I like our lives the way they are."

"I see." The older woman replied with a slight frown. "Does Alex get a say in that?"

"Of course, she does!" Maggie exclaimed before lowering her voice. "Of course, Eliza."

"Maggie, my Alex is a 'mother hen' in all the ways one can be. She lives to care for others, to nurture and love and protect. It makes her happy. Taking care of you, makes her happy. Taking care of Kara, too."

"I want Ally to be happy, _always_ and I know she's never happier than when Kara is around and I understand that, I respect it. But, Kara is not a child... _usually_. That's something I'm not sure I'm ready for."

"Then perhaps you should use these next few days to sort out your feelings on the matter? Before you break my daughters heart?"

Maggie opened her mouth to respond but found she didn't know what to say.

She wanted to tell Eliza that she was wrong, that she would never hurt Alex like that. But wouldn't denying her the one thing she wanted so badly hurt her? Could Maggie ever really fill that void? Stop Alex from pining after the one thing that seemed so deeply woven into whom she was?

"Good morning, my loves!" Eliza exclaimed, pulling Maggie from her thoughts.

She glanced up to see Alex coming down the stairs from her bedroom, a sleepy little one on her hip. Kara's eyes were barely open as she clung to Alex like a baby koala, arms and legs wrapped tightly around her sister, Ice Cream sandwiched between them. Eliza stood to take the little girl from her daughter and the baby murmured a sleepy "Hi, Mama" as she settled into the woman's arms.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Eliza asked her eldest, using her free hand to cup the girl's cheek.

"M'okay." Alex murmured, her voice sounding much worse first thing in the morning. "Little sore." She added with a one-sided shrug.

Maggie frowned openly at the agent. Alex hardly ever admitted to any discomfort, too stubborn to want to appear weak. The fact that she had admitted to being in even a small amount of pain spoke volumes to the tiny detective.

"Babe, why don't you go relax on the couch?" She suggested with a gentle kiss to the taller woman's cheek. "I'll whip us up some breakfast right quick and then get you your pills, okay?"

"Okay." Alex agreed without prodding. She pulled Maggie closer to her for a moment to ask, "You okay?" Maggie noticed her fiancées eyes unconsciously flick to her mother who was lost in doting over Kara at the moment.

"Yeah. Yeah, Ally, I'm good. Just a little worried about you." She told her honestly.

Alex smiled softly at her, rolling her eyes a little. "And you say _I'm_ a mother hen..."

Maggie startled at the other woman's choice of words. Had Alex heard their conversation? Her apartment wasn't exactly soundproof with that open layout. Before Maggie could ask her, Alex limped over to the couch and flopped down on her back, her good arm tossed over her eyes, no doubt to block out the offensive morning light that was only intensifying her headache.

As soon as Alex left the kitchen, Kara was eager to follow. "Down, Mama." She demanded, kicking her little feet. When Eliza looked hesitant to comply she added the sweetest little "Please."

Eliza chuckled and set the child down, knowing exactly where she was headed. Kara made a beeline straight for the living room, Ice Cream dragging across the floor behind her. When she reached the couch, Alex didn't react, pretending to be asleep. There was no way she could have fallen asleep that quickly but Kara seemed convinced. She crept closer to her sister, watching Alex's face intently for any indication she might be awake.

"Sissy?" she stage whispered, mere inches from Alex's face. When she received no response, the precocious toddler dropped her stuffed animal, needing both hands to climb onto the couch with her sibling.

Maggie could see Alex tense, preparing herself to catch Kara if she happened to fall. Fortunately, she was able to complete the climb without incident quickly straddling her sister's stomach. She leaned in closer to her sister's face; mindful of the black cast she knew signified Alex's "owie".

"Sissy, sneeping?" She asked, trying to peek under Alex's forearm. When she still received no response, she placed both hands on her sister's shoulder, rocking her. "Sissy, wake up! Sissy, play!"

Kara sat back, pouting adorably as she tried to work out a way to wake her big sister. She didn't have to wait long because Alex sprang up suddenly, wrapping the surprised toddler in her arms!

"Sissy you scare me!" Kara squealed in delight as Alex tickled her tummy, pressing kisses all over her rosy cheeks, happiness evident on both their faces.

Maggie and Eliza watched the display from the kitchen, the mother with tears in her eyes. Maggie wasn't sure what she felt in that moment but she resolved to take Eliza's advice, to use this unexpected turn of events as an opportunity to explore the concept of parenthood.

She knew Alex had no doubts about her role as a parent, now Maggie just needed to be sure she could be the partner Alex deserved.


	11. Why Doesn't It Feel Like We've Won?

**J'onn has given his daughters 72 hours to say goodbye but their time is fast running out. Maggie continues to struggle with her conflicting emotions toward the situation and Lillian doesn't seem the least bit worried she's been captured...What is Cadmus up to now?**

* * *

 **Author's Note** : So...It's currently the last two weeks of my semester and free time is non-existent! I made this chapter a little longer because it may be a few weeks between updates as I try to finish my semester on a high note. Please continue to comment and make suggestions! I appreciate all of them! On to the story...

* * *

J'onn stormed through the halls of the DEO, James and Winn on his heels.

He had informed the younger men that he was more than capable of interrogating Lillian Luthor without them yet they had insisted on accompanying him. James made sure to wear his Guardian uniform, but bypassed the mask since Lillian had already seen him without it. Winn hung back, actively monitoring the security systems in case any of Lillian's stooges tried to initiate a jailbreak. She was currently deep in the bowels of the DEO in solitary confinement, far from any other prisoners and most importantly the Danvers.

J'onn knew his daughters were safe across town with Maggie and Eliza. As much as he wanted to be there with them, Maggie had been right in insisting he stay away. Kara was still terrified of him, with good reason. From her point of view, her "Papa" had tried to hurt her "Sissy" and anyone threatening Alex was not welcome around the little kryptonian. J'onn wanted Alex to have her closure with her little sister but he would also be happy when Kara was once again back to her "super" self.

First things first, before he brought his daughters back to the DEO, he needed to ensure that Lillian was no longer a threat.

The Martian strode down the long hallway towards Lillian's cell, stopping just shy of the bulletproof glass, arms crossed tightly over his chest. The woman in question sat primly on her bunk; somehow still seeming composed and put together in drab standard-issue DEO sweats. Her hands and ankles were cuffed to massive bolts driven through the floor with just enough chain for her to move around.

"Luthor." He growled, waiting for a response.

The woman in question eyed him with a smirk. "Well if isn't the little green man?" She spared a glance at the two men behind him. "And I see you've teamed up with National City's greatest _traitor_. Hello, Guardian."

"Ms. Luthor." James greeted with a slight chuckle as he eyed the shiner Maggie had given her. "Glad to see you're finally where you belong."

"Oh?" Lillian raised an eyebrow as she stood from the bunk and sauntered towards the glass. "Brave words from a man in a _tin suit_. What are you without it? Or the Kryptonian?"

"Supergirl is of none of your concern." J'onn barked, eyes glowing red.

"I see I've touched a nerve. I assume she's well on her way to adulthood by now, aided by my shameful excuse of a daughter. You should keep her around Martian," she suggested lightly though her expression was dark, "because if we happen to cross paths again...Lex will be an _only child_."

J'onn lunged at the glass, stopping short when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. "You would threaten your own daughter? You are sick, Luthor!"

"Lena is _not_ my daughter, just as the Danvers are not yours." Liliian clucked as she turned her back on the trio and headed toward her bunk. "Be a dear and turn down the lights when you leave, hm? I want to make sure I'm refreshed for my day in court."

"Day in court?" J'onn scoffed. "I'm going to make it my mission that you NEVER see the light of day again, Luthor. There will be no court, no trial, only the same four walls for the rest of your miserable life."

"We'll see." She remarked from her position on the bunk. "The lights?"

* * *

J'onn stormed out of the area, the other two men trailing behind, barking orders at the agents nearby to double Lillian's guards and that no one was allowed in or out of the area without his express permission.

"Whoa, Papa Bear! Where's the fire?" Winn asked as he scrambled to keep up with the angry Martian's long strides.

"She's too confident." J'onn explained as they reached the command center. "Too relaxed."

"Not to mention her threatening Alex, Kara and Lena." James added, still feeling unnerved by Lillian's calm demeanor. "She's not acting like she lost."

"Agent Schott, I want you to review every piece of data we've gathered since this whole mess started. I want to know what could have that woman feeling so smug while locked in our basement. Also, I want extra personnel assigned to Kara and Alex."

"You got it. I'll call Maggie and-"

"No." J'onn interrupted. "I don't want to alert them unnecessarily. Just add more plain-clothes agents to their detail. They're scheduled to be back here day after tomorrow, we'll reevaluate then."

"Lena mentioned wanting to check on things at Catco." James interjected. "I'll go with her, just in case Lillian isn't bluffing."

"Good." J'onn nodded. "Be safe and call if you need anything." He turned back to Winn as James left. "Agent Schott, contact the desert base. I want to make sure Henshaw is still under lock and key."

"Checking on our not-so-friendly murderous neighborhood cyborg now." Winn replied with a grim smile, hoping the villain was still contained and not on his way to wreak more havoc on their lives.

* * *

After spending the morning cuddling with their mother, eating an ungodly amount of waffles and reviewing Kara's test results, the Danvers siblings had headed out for some fresh air while Eliza headed back to the DEO. The mother was anxious to prepare everything necessary to get her youngest daughter back to normal, well as normal as an alien could be. As much as Eliza wanted to enjoy time with little Kara, she'd had her own precious little girl once.

She knew Alex needed the closure and Maggie, the perspective.

Alex sighed happily as she leaned against the large oak tree in the park, enjoying the warm afternoon sun. Just down the lawn, Maggie was catching Kara at the bottom of the slide for what seemed to be the hundredth time. The pair had made their rounds through all the various equipment on the playground but the slides were certainly Kara's favorite.

As much as the agent wanted to be the one to chase her sister around, she was still feeling the effects of her latest confrontation with Henshaw and Maggie had insisted she simply relax and enjoy the sunshine. It was a beautiful day and the park was all but deserted since it was the middle of the week, perfect for a quiet family outing.

But were they a family?

Alex had a feeling her mother and Maggie had been discussing more than they were letting on. That they were discussing _her_. And Kara. And the possibility of one day having a precocious toddler of her own, of _their_ own.

Maggie was open and loving and she had been so good with Kara these past few days, Alex could see that she would make an amazing parent ... she just wasn't sure that it was what the tiny detective truly wanted and this experience could not have come at a more inconvenient time.

Alex could feel her mood beginning to sour when a happy squeal from a few feet away caught her attention.

"Sissy!" Kara squealed, charging towards her sister with abandon.

She looked adorable in her tiny skinny jeans and Supergirl hoodie (it seemed Vasquez had a sense of humor), her little red high-tops bringing her ever closer to her sister. Just as she was about to pounce on Alex, Maggie scooped the little girl out of the air!

"Woah there, peanut! What did I say about being gentle with Sissy?" Maggie chastised the childl softly before setting her lightly on Alex's lap with kisses to both their foreheads.

Kara grabbed Alex's face between her tiny hands as she pouted and apologized. "Sorry, sissy."

"It's okay baby." Alex told her sweetly, pulling the toddler close with her good arm. "Sometimes we forget things when we're excited. Are you and Maggie having fun?"

"Yeah!" Kara chirped an affirmative, little face beaming, arms spread wide. "Maggie pushed me on the swings so high! And then she catched me on the slide!"

"She did?" Alex feigned disbelief as Kara nodded enthusiastically. "Well all that fun must have made you girls hungry? What do you wanna eat, kiddo?"

Kara threw her little arms around Alex's neck before exclaiming, "Pizza!"

"Of course." Maggie snorted as she plopped down on the grass beside them. "What else might you like, peanut?"

"Ice cweam!" Kara declared with a bright smile.

"Okay, so pizza it is." Maggie concluded, eyeing Alex over the toddler's head. Her fiancée had been quiet all morning and the detective suspected the brunette could feel her apprehension about their current situation. "That okay with you, Ally?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Alex agreed with a tight smile avoiding Maggie's gaze. "Could you?" She asked, gesturing for Maggie to grab the toddler so she could stand.

"C'mere peanut!" She scooped the little one onto her hip then offered a hand to Alex in order to help her up. The agent took the offered hand gratefully as her broken arm still threw her terribly off balance.

Alex found herself easily pulled to her feet, ending up just a breath away from meeting Maggie's lips. The tiny detective took the opportunity to press a quick kiss to the other woman's lips, smiling shyly as she did. She quickly linked her free arm with Alex's right and began pulling her towards the pizzeria down the street. Alex couldn't help leaning into the smaller woman, comforted by the domesticity of the moment, even if she wasn't sure it would last.

* * *

"Papa Bear!" Winn cried as he barreled into J'onn's office in panic!

"Agent Schott, what is it?" J'onn jumped to his feet, stunned by the fear he could feel rolling off the young man in waves.

"Major Lane just called from the desert base...he's gone, sir. Henshaw...he's out there _somewhere_."

Both men stared at each other in horror. If Henshaw were loose, it would only be a matter of time before he would come for Lillian and she for revenge. J'onn paced the floor, deep in thought. He needed to bring Alex and Kara back to the DEO i _mmediately_. As much as he knew it would hurt Alex, they needed Kara back at full strength and she needed to be protected until that could happen.

"Do you want me to send a team to bring the girls back in?" Apparently, Winn had come to the same conclusion.

"No. I'll go...Alex needs to hear it from me." J'onn replied solemnly, already dreading the task. "I wanted to give her more time."

"I know, Papa Bear. And she knows it too."

Winn placed a gentle hand on the director's shoulder, his own posture mirroring the defeat they both felt. J'onn gave Winn a small smile before he headed out the door. The young techie watched the other man go with a heavy heart.

"Bring our girls home, Papa Bear."

* * *

Maggie gently draped a warm blanket over the duo on the couch, careful not to disturb the sleeping pair.

Kara, worn out from a full day at the park and a belly full of pizza, was tucked tightly between her sister's right side and the back of the couch, completely knocked out, pacifier in place. Alex had her head on a pillow wedged against the armrest, broken arm resting lightly across her stomach equally exhausted by the day's activities. The detective had managed to convince her to take another round of antibiotics and some ibuprofen to combat the aches she knew must accompany a broken limb and concussion.

She sat quietly on the coffee table in front of the couch, simply watching the pair doze contently, wondering if this is what her life could be like. What would it feel like to come home after a long shift to Alex and their child snuggled on the couch waiting for her? To know that no matter what happened during the day, her little family was anxiously awaiting her return?

The thought was amazing and scary and confusing all at once. This hadn't been something she'd ever thought she wanted but the past few days with Kara, in between the panic and worry and general madness, had stirred something within her; a desire that she'd denied having to Alex on that very couch. Had she lied?

To Alex? Eliza? To herself?

She sighed quietly, raking a frustrated hand through her hair. Pushing herself off the table, she rounded the couch to press a gentle kiss to Alex's hair, cellphone in hand. Her captain had been kind enough to give her time off for a "family emergency" but she still wanted to check in with her partner about their open cases. Maybe it would help her get her mind off things...

Just as she stepped away from the couch, a hand circled her wrist. She turned to find Alex watching her with tired eyes. Maggie came back around the couch and took up her perch on the coffee table once more.

"Hey you." Alex smiled at her sleepily as Maggie reached out to cup her cheek.

"Hey." She replied softly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"S'okay." Alex watched her curiously, waiting for Maggie to say more; always able to tell when the other woman had something on her mind.

Instead of responding, Maggie grabbed Alex's left hand in her own, watching intently as the light bounced off their matching bands. Alex shouldn't have been wearing hers at all, her fingers swollen as they were from her injury, but the agent had stubbornly refused to remove it. Both Maggie _and_ Dr. Hamilton had threatened to cut the band off if Alex's finger started looking blue, but it seemed fine at the moment. Still Maggie didn't want to take any chances and she quickly slid the ring off, placing it on her own index finger instead.

"I'm just keeping it safe for you." She informed Alex, noting the confusion on the other woman's face. "Just until this gets better." She added, pressing a gentle kiss to Alex's swollen hand.

"It's not _that_ swollen." Alex scoffed, even though she knew it was a lie. "You just don't want to have to use bolt cutters on that expensive ring."

Maggie snorted as she leaned forward to kiss her. "Touché, Danvers."

"Maggie," Alex began haltingly because if she didn't speak first she would lose the courage to speak at all. "I heard what you said earlier, about what 'ride or die' meant to you and I feel it too, babe. I _understand_. But you have to understand that this _need_ to be a parent, to be a _mother_ , isn't something I decided on a whim. It's something I have wanted all along and I have been just _waiting_ for the right partner to make that dream a reality...and I thought, I _thought_ that partner would be _you_."

Maggie sighed and looked away, her lip trembling in the manner Alex had come to adore. She took a moment to compose herself before meeting the other woman's eyes again.

"I promised you a 'lifetime of firsts' Ally, and I meant that. But, I guess we didn't really discuss all that would entail. Everything has been moving at light speed for us and I think we need to take the time to _slow_ _things down, think this through_. Watching you walk out that door the other day, having to _babysit_ when I should have been watching your back was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. And that would be our life, you know? If the kid was _ours_? One of us would _always_ be left behind...to _wait_...to _worry_..."

Alex shifted Kara onto the couch, sure that nothing she did could possibly wake the toddler before she closed the gap between them. She took a moment to ensure the little one was comfortable, tucking the blanket up to her little chin. Maggie couldn't help but note that even now, when they were on the verge of a practically life-changing conversation, Alex was still putting the child's needs first. Maggie found herself pulling back even further and Alex immediately tensed.

Perching on the edge of the couch, she reached for Maggie, unable to stand the distance as it suddenly felt like more than a few feet. She sorely wished she had two good arms at the moment but embraced Maggie anyways, crushing the smaller woman against her chest. Maggie's arms came around her instantly and she couldn't suppress the grunt that escaped her when her broken arm was jostled between them.

"I'm sorry!" Maggie yelped trying to pull back but Alex wouldn't let her.

"It's okay. There are worse hurts..." she whispered, willing the other woman to stay, for things to be the way they once were.

"Ally, I don't want to hurt you." The tiny detective began, pulling back just enough to meet the taller woman's eyes. "I love you. That _hasn't_ changed, is _never_ going to change...but, I don't think I can sit on the sidelines while you run headfirst into danger. It's not fair to me and I couldn't do that to my kid."

"Do what?" Alex asked as Maggie pulled away fully before settling heavily on the coffee table again.

"Force them to wait and worry. I did it for fourteen years. Every time my dad worked a dangerous case, would be gone for days at a time. I would _wait_ and I would _worry_. I would watch my mother pretend that everything was okay while the love of her life could be taken away at any moment. It _destroyed_ her, and it _destroyed_ me. I don't think I can live like that."

"Mags... I don't know what you want me to say." Alex sputtered, dragging a frustrated hand through her hair. "We face danger _every day_. We can't always be there to protect each other..."

"No, we can't." Maggie snapped, shooting up from the table, Alex stood too, following her into the kitchen as she continued to rant. "But now if you don't come home, I don't have to be the one to break some kids heart! To tell them their mama, who taught them about the stars, who raised a superhero, who is a total badass, is _gone_. To _pretend_ that my heart isn't broken because you're... _gone_." She whispered the last word as she collapsed against Alex's chest, completely wrung out.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Alex was sobbing as well, her good arm holding Maggie close to her even though she felt her knees weaken. "I wanna fix it, baby. Tell me how I can fix it."

"I don't know how to fix it, how to fix _us_. But..." Maggie sniffed as she met Alex's watery gaze. "We gotta try. We _need_ to try. I'm not letting you go that easy."

"Me either. I want _you_ , Maggie. I want _us_ but..."

"You're not sure if it's _enough_." Maggie finished for her with a tiny smile as Alex shook her head sullenly. "It's okay, Ally."

"No, it's _not_. You have given me so much. You helped me accept myself, taught me to embrace my feelings, not to push things down. I guess that means even the things we know might _hurt_ the ones we love the _most_..."

"Yeah. Tricky business those feelings." Maggie joked lightly, relieved when Alex offered her a small smile. "But they're _valid_ , Ally. _You're_ valid. And so are my feelings. I think we should just...take some time...to figure out what all this means for us."

Alex nodded but couldn't meet Maggie's eyes as the tears started rolling down her cheeks. Maggie cupped her face in her hands, thumbing the tears away as she raised Alex's eyes to meet hers.

"Hey. I'm not going anywhere." Maggie assured her. "We'll figure this out, Ally but for now...for now I want you to enjoy your little sister, enjoy your baby. And when she's back to her old super-powered self, we'll blackmail her with the pictures!"

Alex gave a full, real laugh at that as she buried her face in Maggie's shoulder. "I love you so much. You know that right?"

"Of course, Ally. I mean, really, what's _not_ to love?" The tiny detective chuckled, tightening her hold on Alex as she tried to pull away, scoffing at her lame joke. "I'm kidding! I love you too, Danvers. _Forever."_ The pair stayed wrapped in their tender embrace until a little voice called from the couch.

"Sissy? Maggie? Whewe you go?"

Both women burst into a fit of giggles as they hurried over to their little Kryptonian, feeling lighter than they had in days.

Little did they know, it was not meant to last.


	12. This Is Why We Can't have Nice Things

**Author's Note:** Hey! I'm back! Thanks for waiting everyone, I know it has been a LONG few weeks between updates which is why I let this chapter get away from me a little bit.=) For those who are wondering, I ended my semester exactly how I wanted (all "A's", Dean's List) and now have a lengthy break where I can hopefully finish this story as strongly as it began. What are you waiting for? Dive in!

* * *

 **Lena and James make their way back to Catco to run some damage control. Meanwhile, Lillian's goons are at it again, carrying out their murderous leaders every order. J'onn gives Alex the bad news and it's a race against time to get everyone back to the DEO in one piece!**

* * *

"Honestly, James. It really wasn't necessary to escort me." Lena told the protective young man in a flustered tone as they rode the elevator to the top floor of Catco. "I'm a _Luthor_ after all, death threats do come with the territory." She added with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Lena..." James sighed because really there was no limit to the CEO's self-loathing sometimes. "You're one of the 'super-friends' now and Kara would never forgive me if something happened to you on my watch."

"The 'super-friends'?" Lena scoffed. "Do you really call yourselves that?"

"Yes? No?" He found himself flustered by the mildly amused look the woman was giving him. "It doesn't matter. The point is, we protect our own and now that includes you."

Lena was touched by the sentiment. The majority of her life had been spent fending for herself and the one person she'd loved above all else hadn't been able to love her more than his obsessions. To say she was a loner was a tremendous understatement. However, Kara had changed all that, forcing Lena to accept her friendship and by proxy all the 'super-friends' it seemed.

"Thank you, James." She replied quietly as he gave her that award-winning smile.

"All my friends call me Jimmy."

Before she could respond, he ushered her out the open door of the elevator and herded her towards her office. Lena was back in her element, impeccably dressed and ready for business. Gone were the sweats and sneakers, replaced with a couture dress, Louboutin's and a generous amount of makeup to cover the results of her recent sleepless nights.

The newsroom was a flurry of activity despite it being well after normal business hours, most of those racing around it barely taking note of their two leaders finally making an appearance after days of absence. The news board was full of possible headlines:

 _"Where is Supergirl?"_

 _"Crime rate on the rise during the disappearance of the 'Girl of Steel'"_

 _"Is National City doomed?"_

The last one caught James' attention and he mentally made a note that there needed to be some sort of explanation for Kara's disappearance or the city would be turning on her in no time. Once Lena finished her work at Catco, he would rush her back to the DEO and head out as Guardian to do some damage control. He didn't want the cities criminals thinking it was a free for all just because Kara wasn't out there. The vigilante quickly turned his attention back to Lena.

"How long do you think it will take you to get everything settled here?"

"James..."

"Jimmy." He corrected.

"Of course. _Jimmy,_ I have been absent from my duties for several days! Not that it wasn't for a good cause, because it certainly was ... but the business never sleeps and I need to know what's been happening with my investment."

"Well for one, people are starting to notice Kara's absence." He whispered, pointing at the news board. "How much longer do you think we can keep people in the dark? We need her back as soon as possible which means _you_ need to get back to the DEO."

"Point taken." She admitted, eyes wide at the accusatory tone the narrative was taking. They surely couldn't tell anyone about her friend's current predicament but they also couldn't allow her reputation to be sullied in the interim. "Can you influence the narrative somehow?"

"I'll do my best but we honestly need a believable cover story before people start cursing the House of El."

"Call an editorial meeting. Hopefully, between you and I we can turn the tide until there is an official statement. Perhaps Alex can whip something up? Preferably something with FBI credentials attached?"

"I'll call her." James answered, already dialing the agent's number. He was surprised when a call from the DEO came in before he could punch the call button. "Hello?"

"James!" a panicked voice came from the other end.

"Winn?"

"Yeah! Listen! You have to get Lena back to the DEO, like right now."

"Why? What's going on? Is it Kara?"

"No. No, she's okay for now but if you don't get Lena back here she may not be. Henshaw escaped!"

"How the hell did that happen?" James hissed as he stepped into the hallway so he could hear better.

"I'm still working on the details but I'm pretty sure that Lillian wasn't bluffing. As long as Henshaw is out there, nobody is safe."

"All right, I'm grabbing Lena now," James told him as he headed back to the office.

"Good! Papa Bear wants you both back here before things get out of hand."

"I think they already have..." James stumbled to a stop, phone still to his ear as he rounded the corner and found himself face-to-face with the murderous cyborg!

* * *

"Alex."

The agent jerked awake, eyes scanning the darkness for the source of the disturbance. She glanced across the bed and smiled softly. Maggie was flat on her back with Kara sprawled across her chest, both completely oblivious and snoring softly. Alex took a moment to enjoy the view before she was reminded why she'd woken in the first place.

 _Someone_ had called her name.

She stood quickly, making sure not to disturb the sleeping duo. Throwing on a discarded hoodie, broken arm tucked against her side and alien gun in hand, she crept out towards the living room in search of the disturbance.

"Alex."

She spun around, bringing her gun up to face... _J'onn?!_

"Jesus!" She gasped, immediately dropping the weapon to her side. "J'onn what are you doing here so late?!"

"Alex, it's barely after 7pm." He told her with an amused smirk. "Seems a couple days with a toddler have worn you out."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess. Crazy couple of days, you know..." She murmured, glancing back at the bed to ensure her outburst hadn't awoken Maggie and Kara as J'onn nodded his agreement. "What's up?"

"I know I promised you a few more days," J'onn began without preamble. "But I need you all to come back in, as soon as possible."

"What? Why?" Alex exclaimed, barely keeping her voice down. "She doesn't need her next dose for another twenty-four hours. You _promised._.." she all but whimpered, dropping to the couch in defeat.

J'onn hated that he had to hurt his eldest child like this but her safety and Kara's took precedent. He sat heavily on the couch beside her, wrapping his arm around her shaking shoulders as she held back tears.

"I'm sorry. But the situation has changed. Henshaw escaped and I can't risk the two of you being caught outside the DEO unprotected."

"You think he would come after her?" Alex asked in a small voice, face paling at the prospect.

"Lately it seems as if Cadmus has a concerted interest in _you_ , not Kara. But either way, I'd feel much better if you were both back behind the DEO's walls."

Alex nodded her head sadly, knowing with Henshaw on the loose their best bet was to get everyone behind the DEO's bulletproof walls but wanting to avoid it all the same. Her gaze was drawn back to the bed where her girls were sleeping, blissfully unaware that the situation had taken a drastic turn for the worse. J'onn squeezed her shoulder again in reassurance before he stood.

"I have agents in the hall and there's a DEO vehicle waiting in the parking garage to bring you back as soon as you're ready." He informed her quietly.

"You're not taking us back?"

"Considering the circumstances," his eyes immediately went to the bed where Kara was sleeping. "It will probably be easier for her if I wasn't here when you wake her up."

"Oh. Right. Evil-doppelganger kinda ruined things between you guys." She agreed solemnly as J'onn smiled sadly in response.

"He did. It was Maggie who pointed out that Kara might not be able to differentiate between the evil-robot version and myself. Though, I'm hopeful the adult-Kara can forgive me."

"She loves you, J'onn. We _both_ do." Alex assured him, grabbing his hand in hers. "And Kara knows you love her back. You don't need to worry."

"Go." He said softly as he pulled her to her feet. "Get your girls ready. I'll see you back at the DEO."

He was unprepared when Alex pulled him into a strong, one-armed hug. "Thank you." She murmured against his shoulder. "For giving us time."

"I just wish I could have given you more." He replied sadly as she pulled back.

"I know." She turned with tears in her eyes and headed towards the bedroom as J'onn made his way to the door. He took one last look at his daughters before quietly slipping out.

* * *

James froze in place, unsure of how to proceed.

Henshaw had Lena by the throat, just as he'd grabbed Alex in the command center and James had no idea how he could liberate her without causing the young woman harm. He locked eyes with Lena, hers wide in terror, as her feet barely skimmed the ground.

There weren't a lot of options at his disposal in the moment and James knew he just needed to buy a few minutes until Winn sent the Calvary. He threw caution to the wind and charged the villain head on, shield out, hoping to distract him long enough for Lena to escape. Unfortunately, Henshaw saw him coming from a mile away and before James could stop it, the vigilante was thrown through the glass windows surrounding the office!

"James!" Lena gasped and she could hear Winn panic, calling for the other man through the discarded cellphone.

Henshaw sneered at the chaos he had created as Catco's employees fled the area in terror, leaving James and Lena behind to deal with the cybernetic menace. James was lying unconscious surrounded by glass; unable to help anyone at the moment and Lena was seriously wishing she had taken Alex up on her offer of self-defense classes.

The cyborg turned his attention back to her, red eye gleaming. "I have a message from your mother."

* * *

Maggie awoke to a gentle hand on her shoulder. She cracked one eye open to find Alex hovering above her, a pained expression on her face. Maggie frowned in response, fully awake now that she knew her mate was in distress.

"Ally?" She mumbled, voice full of sleep. "Hey. What's the matter?"

Alex sighed. "We need to go back to the DEO."

"Um, okay...when?"

"Now."

"Now?!" Had Kara not been sleeping on her chest, Maggie would have shot up in bed at her fiancée's pronouncement. Instead she had to settle for gently sliding the toddler over to the other side of the bed so she could face Alex. "We were supposed to have another day."

Alex slumped beside her on the bed, laying her forehead dejectedly against Maggie's collarbone as she recounted all that had happened in the last few hours. By the time she was done, silent tears streamed down the agent's face and Maggie had to bite her lip to keep her emotions in check.

Now wasn't the time for weakness. Her girls needed her to be strong, no matter how much she wanted to breakdown too. She gently lifted Alex's face to get her attention.

"It's gonna be okay, Ally. We've made it this far. We'll get you both back to the DEO and you and Little Danvers can watch Disney movies on the big monitor and we'll all make the most of the time we have left with her. Okay?"

"Yeah." Alex replied, though her tone and her posture were still awash in defeat. Maggie needed Alex to believe her so she tried again.

"Baby do you trust me?" She asked, voice slightly uncertain because the last few days had not been a good indicator of their relationship. Alex's reply, however, set her at ease immediately.

"With my life." She whispered, pressing a small kiss to Maggie's lips.

"Then trust me _now_. If we stick together, it's gonna be okay. El Mayarah, right?"

"Stronger together."

* * *

Henshaw's words should have been terrifying to Lena; should have had her calling to any higher power that would listen to save her from whatever horrors her mother was sure to inflict as payback for her assistance in the DEO.

Instead, the young woman was filled with cold, numb, dread.

Lillian rarely bothered to send messages.

Why warn your enemies and spoil the element of surprise? No, better to crush them beneath your heel when they least expect it. So, this? A warning? Such a gesture could only mean that Lillian had unspeakable plans for her daughter, something she wouldn't inflict upon even her worst enemy.

Henshaw had paused after he delivered the proclamation, expectantly, as if this was some macabre scene from a play and she had somehow forgotten her lines. She raised her chin defiantly, despite that fact that it was nearly impossible with the vice grip around her neck.

"Well?" He growled, foul smelling breath just inches from her face, hot and rancid. "Don't you want to beg for your miserable life?"

"Why should I?" She countered, groaning in discomfort as his grip tightened. "You're just going to kill me anyway."

" _Eventually_." He agreed with a smirk. "But your mother has something much more _interesting_ in mind for you..."

Lena paled at the implication.

Her mother had proven herself quite adept at devising horrific manners in which to 'punish' her enemies. No doubt Lena's betrayal called for something painful and extreme. Lillian Luthor was not to be betrayed, especially by her own family.

Her ego could never let it stand.

Henshaw gave her a feral smile as she shuddered. "Ready to beg, yet?"

"Not just yet." Lena gasped, trying to wriggle from his grasp once more, or so he thought. Just as his hold was about to tighten, she tapped her necklace and the cyborg felt his entire body seize up!

* * *

After finally composing herself, Alex reluctantly pulled on a pair of jeans and long-sleeve white tee before jamming her feet into a pair of boots. She rolled the sleeve up over her cast as she made her way to the door. Sliding it open just enough, She peeked her head out in search of the soldiers J'onn had sent to escort them. There was only one at the end of the hallway facing away from her and she stepped out to get his attention.

"Agent?" She called out tentatively, wondering why the man hadn't reacted to her approach. When he turned to face her, she knew why.

"Hello, Agent Danvers." He sneered as he approached her, one hand on his weapon.

"Shit!" Alex turned just in time to dodge as the man fired at her! She scrambled along the hallway until she reached the door, barely making it inside before another bullet whizzed by her head.

"Alex, what the hell?!" Maggie was crouched down next to the bed, a hysterical Kara clutched to her chest.

"Get back!" She waved frantically. "Maggie, get back! It's Cadmus. Get Kara somewhere safe!"

As if to punctuate the agent's words, several rounds slammed through the door, narrowly missing her. She could barely hear Maggie screaming her name over the ringing in her ears but managed to stumble towards her. The detective slid her the alien gun just as the windows to their balcony exploded inward!

With a burst of speed, Alex made her way to Maggie and Kara, shoving the duo into the bathroom before slamming the door behind her. "Keep her safe!" Alex yelled through the door and Maggie guessed the agent must have hit her head again if she thought for one moment that she was gonna let Alex fight the intruders alone.

She quickly placed Kara in the bathtub, doing her best to soothe the frightened child. "Hey! Kara, listen to me. There are some bad men outside and I need to go help Alex. Stay in the bathtub until one of us comes to get you. Understand?"

"No, Maggie! I scared!" Kara whimpered, clutching Maggie's shirt in her little hands.

"I know. I know baby. I am too." Maggie tried to soothe her as sounds of the fight filtered through the thin door. "But I have to go help Alex. She needs me! I _promise_ to come back. But you have to let me go okay?"

Kara nodded tearfully as the detective guided her to lie down in the bathtub, hands covering her little ears, Ice cream snuggled against her back. Maggie leaned forward to press a quick kiss against her forehead then crawled to the door. The sounds of the fight had died down and it filled Maggie with dread. She cracked the door open just enough to peek through the sliver.

What she saw made her shudder.

Alex was on her knees, arms pinned behind her back as a man towered above her.

He reached down to pinch the agent's chin painfully between his fingers as he asked, "Where is she?" Alex whimpered but refused to respond, even as the man's fingers dug deeper into her jaw.

The apartment was small and there were only so many places Alex could have hidden them. She wouldn't be able to stall for long. Maggie had seen enough. She glanced around and spotted Alex's alien gun lying just outside the bathroom door. If she could get to it, she could free Alex and turn the tide.

The only problem was she would have to expose herself to reach it.

The decision was made for her when the man backhanded Alex so viciously that her head snapped to the side! Maggie saw red and suddenly she was out of the bathroom, gun in hand, firing wildly at Alex's captors. The agent used Maggie's distraction to extricate herself from the men's grasp and slide behind the kitchen counter where the duo kept their extra weapons. She jammed her thumb against the biometric lock and in seconds was armed and on her feet!

"Maggie, look out!" Alex warned the detective as one of the men grabbed the heavy kitchen table one-handed and flipped it end over end at the woman! Thankfully, her fiancée's warning had given Maggie just enough time to throw herself out of the way.

Both women turned to gape at the man. There was no way he should have been able to do that. It was obvious these men were enhanced and it was going to take a lot to bring them down. Maggie didn't hesitate when she leveled Alex's gun at the man and fired.

The crunching sound that accompanied his body crashing through the balcony and onto the street below was unusually satisfying. Normally, neither woman would use such an unpredictable weapon on humans but it was clear these men weren't human and they had no problem using deadly force.

Alex spotted one of the men heading for the bathroom door and vaulted over the counter to intercept. She slid to a stop in front of him, immediately firing several rounds into his gut! Her eyes grew wide as she noted her attack had done nothing to slow the assailant. He slapped her gun away before slamming her against the bathroom door, drawing a combat knife as he did.

"No!" Alex barely managed to block the attack with her cast as he drove the blade towards her face. The cast kept the blade from hitting its mark but she still felt the tip sink into the plaster and nick the skin beneath!

"Ally!"

She managed to turn her head enough to see Maggie doing her best to fight off two of the goons as they backed her into a corner. Alex tried to push the man way but found herself anchored to him by the blade trapped in her cast.

"The door!" Maggie was yelling and Alex glanced down to see a familiar red glow emanating from the cracks."Look at the door!"

"Oh, no..." She gasped, wrenching herself free of the man just as the bathroom door was blown of its hinges!

The man was struck full force with Kara's heat vision, incinerating him on the spot. Alex stared at the charred corpse, only the cybernetic pieces remaining, before springing into action. From the direction of the beam, she could tell Kara was still lying down in the tub; could hear the child screaming and guessed that the little hero had no idea she was even doing this.

Alex was torn between comforting her distraught sibling and rushing to assist Maggie with the remaining assailants when the stream of heat vision ceased suddenly. Everyone in the apartment froze in shock, unsure of what would come next.

What no one could have predicted was the bathtub bursting through the living room wall!

"NO HURT SISSY!" Kara bellowed, little face twisted in anger as water from the burst pipes flowed over her.

Faster than human eyes could track, the little Kryptonian sped through the apartment, slamming into the Cadmus agents like a runaway train until she stumbled to stop in front of her sister! She glanced up at Alex, eyes glassy, then pitched forward unconscious. Alex swooped to catch her before she hit the ground, gathering the child to her chest as she surveyed the damage with disbelief.

Her bathtub lay in the living room, as well as what was left of her kitchen table; the crumpled bodies of their attackers were strewn about motionless, her bed was on fire and the entire apartment floor was covered in an inch of water.

"Maggie!" Alex yelled, struggling to her feet, Kara clutched in her arms. "Maggie, where are you?"

Just as her panic was rising, there was a groan to her left and she spotted her fiancée pulling herself up on the kitchen counter. Before Alex could ask if she was okay, the remainder of the front door flew open and DEO agents flooded in!

"Ma'am! Are you okay?" Vasquez inquired, unable to hide her surprise at the destruction surrounding them.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're good, I think. Mags?" She asked as her fiancée made her way over to her on shaky legs.

"I'm good babe. I just wish Little Danvers would warn us before she does that." The detective told her with a rueful chuckle, placing a gentle kiss on Kara's forehead.

"You and me both." She replied, sighing with relief as Maggie wrapped her arms around them.

"She okay?" Maggie asked quietly, rubbing soothing circles on Alex's back.

"I think so. Probably just a solar flare." Alex answered, clutching Kara ever closer. "You just have to be the hero?" she whispered to the child with a small smile as the agents all around them began securing the scene.

"Let's get you three out of here." Vasquez offered, herding the trio towards the door. "I'll have a cleanup crew come back and repair everything, Ma'am."

"Thanks, Vas." Alex was truly grateful for the other woman's help, even though she had almost been too late. She glanced around her apartment with a defeated sigh. "This is why we can't have nice things..."


	13. How Could You Say It?

**Author's Note** : Happy New Year everybody! I actually had this chapter finished last week but wasn't sure if I loved it. After a couple rewrites, I realized all it was missing was a little fluff! Hope you all are still enjoying the ride. =)

* * *

 **Alex, Kara and Maggie make it back to the DEO in one piece only to find trouble may have followed them. Alex makes a tough decision about Kara's future treatments and Maggie finally loses her cool!**

* * *

Alex and Maggie made their way into the DEO, mood somber. Kara was tucked securely into her sister's arms, little chin resting on the agents shoulder as she dozed, once again drained by a solar flare. Maggie trailed behind the pair, with a duffle bag full of the toddler's things on one shoulder and Ice Cream tucked under her other arm.

It had taken them less than twenty minutes to gather Kara's things and get her out to the bulletproof SUV after they'd disposed of their attackers, no doubt connected to Cadmus. Kara had immediately fallen asleep after her explosive display of power and they hadn't bothered to wake the child, just wrapped her tightly in a blanket, still clad in her jammies. The toddler hadn't put up a fight; she was content to simply be in her sister's arms. Alex led the trio without a word to the lab where Eliza, J'onn and a frazzled looking Lena waited. Despite what they had just been through, the agent was immediately on alert at the sight of the younger woman's red-rimmed eyes and bruised collarbone.

"Lena! What happened? Are you okay?" She asked as she rushed into the lab, careful not to jostle Kara too much.

"Henshaw." J'onn answered, jaw clenched tightly. Alex nodded her understanding before turning back to Lena.

"You're okay, though?" She asked quietly, seeking the young woman's gaze.

"Yes, Alex. I'm fine, truly. Thank you for your concern." Lena replied, voice shaky but still crisp. "Though I should be asking the same of you." She added, taking in the agent's weathered appearance.

"We're fine." Alex deflected, not currently in the right frame of mind to discuss the day's events.

"How did that monster even get to you?" Maggie piped up, anger flashing in her eyes.

"He ambushed James and I at Catco." Lena replied simply.

"How did you get away?" Maggie pressed because she could tell the other woman was holding something back.

"Alex saved me."

"I did what?" Alex gasped as Maggie's mouth dropped open.

Lena smiled shyly at the agent before clarifying. "Obviously you didn't save me _personally_ but your invention did. That Taser you gave me packs quite a punch!" Lena exclaimed before asking, "Is it legal?"

Alex blushed at the question. "That's classified." She joked quietly. "I'm just glad it worked."

"Oh, it works." James offered from the doorway, arm in a sling. "You fried Henshaw's circuits _and_ his nervous system! He was drooling all over himself when we brought him in."

Alex laughed a little until she realized what he'd said. "Wait! He's here? You brought that monster _here_? In the same building as Lillian? The same building as _my sister_!"

"Alex calm down." J'onn stepped forward to assure his daughter.

"J'onn how could you let them bring him here?" She asked, voice suddenly small and terrified.

"I only just found out before you arrived. Lane is sending a team from the desert base as we speak to pick him up and I've made sure that he and Lillian are as far apart as they can possibly be until we get them off this base."

"You're transferring Lillian too?" Maggie asked, placing a comforting arm around Alex's shoulders.

"I don't want either one of them anywhere near this family. I told Lane she would be taking them _both_ off our hands."

"Good. That's good." Maggie tried to wrap her mind around the fact that the villains they were fleeing from were currently on this base. She was starting to think they had been better off in the apartment.

As if reading her mind, J'onn looked her dead in the eye and stated, "I'll keep you safe Maggie. _All_ of you."

Alex didn't react to the conversation around her and Maggie instantly recognized the symptoms of shock. It wasn't all that surprising considering the events of the last few days, culminating in the fight that had nearly totaled the couple's apartment. She stepped in front of Alex, drawing the taller woman's gaze as she ran her hands gently up and down her upper arms.

"Baby? Hey. It's gonna be okay. We'll get Lillian and her robot goon out of here and then we'll get Kara all fixed up. Okay?"

Alex didn't respond, just clutched Kara closer and began to sway, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. It was Eliza who sprung into action. She quickly crossed the room, cupping Alex's face in her hands and thumbing away her tears.

"You girls look like you could use some rest. Let's go down to your quarters and you and Kara can take a little nap while J'onn gets this mess figured out." Her words were pointed and J'onn felt the sting of the implications.

 _How dare you bring that animal here? Without informing me? Without informing her?_

"Your mother's right, Alex. Go. Rest. By the time you wake up, I _promise_ Lillian and Henshaw will be gone for good."

Alex didn't respond, just mutely followed as her mother steered her towards the door. James stepped aside to let the angry mother pass and she shot him a glaring look as she did. Maggie watched the women go but made no move to follow.

"Maggie?" J'onn asked expectantly.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm sticking around to make _sure_ this transfer goes off without a hitch. I won't be able to relax until I know Lillian is on her way to the hellhole she deserves."

"I'm staying as well." Lena added, clearly unnerved to be in the same place as her murderous mother and her pet cyborg. "I won't let my mother hurt Kara or Alex anymore than she already has."

"That goes the same for me." James offered even though he had just been released from the med-bay.

"I appreciate the offer. From all of you." J'onn told them. "But the DEO has this under control. Lena, I want you to stay here and get as much of the serum ready as you can. Maggie, I want you in Alex's quarters. If things do get out of hand, she'll need you by her side. James, you stay here with Lena. It seems as if you two make a pretty good team and I don't want to leave the lab unprotected."

The trio all eyed the Martian as if they wanted to disagree but unable to stand the heat of his gaze, quickly dispersed to their assigned places. He watched them go with a firm nod.

"I'll be in command."

* * *

Maggie hastened to Alex's quarters, comforted only by the cool steel tucked into her waistband. Despite all of J'onn's assurances, she still felt uneasy that both Lillian and Henshaw were in striking distance of her girls. She entered the quarters without knocking because she had expected Alex to be resting and Kara had yet to even wake up.

She really should have known better.

Alex was pacing the room like a caged animal, a sleeping Kara still sprawled against her. Every time she passed Eliza, the worried mother would try to take the baby but Alex staunchly refused. The matron kept glancing at her daughter's cast, no doubt wondering why there was now bloody gauze wrapped around it. When her eyes caught Maggie's she gave the detective a small, helpless shrug.

"Hey baby." Maggie ventured, stepping directly into Alex's path to stop the other woman from pacing. "I thought you were resting?"

Alex's eyebrows shot into her hairline as she finally came to a stop. "Resting?" She asked incredulously. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that Maggie, when half of Cadmus is currently in our basement?"

Maggie noted that even though she was clearly incensed, Alex kept her voice low so as not to disturb Kara. Since her fiancée was currently blocking her from pacing, the agent settled on the couch, adjusting Kara so the child's ear was once again directly over her heart. Her broken arm was draped across Kara's waist and she used the other to rub soothing circles on the little girl's back. For her part, Kara remained blissfully unaware of everything except the soothing presence of her sibling.

"I know you're upset..." Maggie began; unsure of what she could say that would put Alex at ease. She definitely wouldn't lie to her and say everything was under control because she honestly couldn't be sure of it herself.

"I'm not upset, Maggie." Alex countered with tears in her eyes. "I'm _scared_. I'm terrified that if they get her while she's like _this_...we could lose her forever."

"Oh, sweetie!" Maggie quickly knelt in front of the couch, placing a hand gently against Alex's cheek. "That is _never_ going to happen because everyone in this base would give their lives to protect the two of you. They would do it, Ally, cuz we all know you would do the same for them."

Alex nodded her agreement before turning her attention to her mother. "Mom, we have to do it. We have to start the procedure, _now_. I won't leave Kara defenseless against those maniacs."

Eliza was shocked by her daughter's request. "Alex, I thought you wanted more time..."

"I did. I mean, I _do_ but..."Alex sighed as she pressed a gentle kiss against her sister's temple. "I can't put her at further risk just because I don't want to say goodbye. It isn't fair to her and I would never forgive myself if it was the reason Cadmus ended up finally getting their hands on my sister."

Eliza nodded, as she pressed an equally gentle kiss against Alex's forehead. "My brave girl," she whispered. "Always putting the needs of others first. You will make an _amazing_ mother someday."

Maggie tried not to tense at the mother's words but as Eliza passed her on her way out the room, she gave the tiny detective a cursory look that told Maggie she'd noticed her reaction despite Maggie's attempts to hide it.

Alex looked as if she wanted to say something to Maggie when the little bundle on her chest began to squirm. As always, Kara's knack for interrupting the couple was impeccable. The eldest Danvers shifted Kara in her arms until the little one was lying across her lap, gazing up at her sleepily.

"Well good morning sunshine." She whispered to her with a teary smile. "Did you sleep well?"

Kara nodded as she raised a little fist to sleepily rub her eyes before a bright smile broke out on her face. "Hi, sissy!" She mumbled around her pacifier.

Alex beamed in response. "Hi baby."

Kara pushed herself up then, removed her binky and placed a tiny kiss on her sister's nose causing the elder to giggle. "Love, sissy." Kara proclaimed before promptly putting her binky back in her mouth.

"I love you, too. So much." Alex replied trying to compose herself.

Maggie came forward then and sat on the couch beside Alex where Kara could see her. "Hey peanut! We thought you would never wake up!" Maggie teased, gently tickling the child's tummy.

"Silly Maggie!" Kara giggled. "I wake up!"

"You did wake up!" Maggie agreed placing a raspberry against the child's cheek causing Kara to laugh and squeal even louder!

Alex knew what Maggie was trying to do and was grateful her fiancée was trying to relieve some of the tension. They were all on edge at the prospect of injecting their little one with a serum that would make her feel far worse before it made her better and leave her defenseless in the interim. Kara climbed into Maggie's lap, one hand still gripping her sister's shirt, causing the detective to frown as her skin came fully into contact with Kara's.

"Babe, she feels a little warm to me." Maggie told Alex as she laid a hand on the child's forehead. She wasn't surprised Alex hadn't noticed as she'd been carrying the girl around for a while, with a blanket to boot.

Alex stood quickly from the couch, earning a frustrated whine from Kara as she was forced to release her vice grip on her sister's top. The agent returned quickly with a thermometer, gently turning Kara's head to the side so she could reach her ear. Maggie made sure to hold Kara's hands as the trio waited for the device to beep.

"103." Alex read, worry evident in her voice.

"Is that bad?" Maggie asked. "I mean, I know it's really bad for human babies but I thought you always said Kara runs hot?"

"She does, usually," Alex placed a comforting hand on Kara's back and noticed the child's pajamas were soaked. "But right now she's almost human. This is bad. We need to get her to the med-bay, now. She solar flared! She needs sunlamps! How could I have missed this?"

"Ally it's not your fault." Maggie assured her. "After the day we've had, I'm impressed you're still standing! As for the fever, you guys have been cuddling ever since those goons rushed the apartment. She wouldn't have seemed warm to you because you were used to the warmth. Plus, she was wrapped in a blanket until just now so you couldn't have known her jammies were soaked."

Alex ignored her attempt at reassurance, convinced she didn't deserve it, and turned her attention back to Kara. "Baby, do you feel icky?"

Kara frowned as if assessing her condition before responding. "Sissy, I hot." She whined quietly, rubbing her fist against her eye again.

Maggie and Alex quickly stripped the baby's wet jammies off and Maggie handed the child to Alex so she could wipe Kara's back and chest clean of the sweat with a wet wipe. As soon as Kara was clean, the duo managed to get her into a dry onesie, hoping the lighter fabric might cool her down. Alex was on her feet again, gathering the child to her as she headed towards the med-bay, causing Maggie to scramble in an effort to follow.

"Ally, whoa! Wait up." Maggie grabbed the taller woman by the arm in an effort to slow her down. "Let's just call Hamilton to come down. J'onn wanted me to keep you guys in your quarters. It isn't safe."

"Safe?!" Alex exclaimed as she spun to face her, causing Kara to yelp at her outburst. She took a moment to calm the child before settling her gaze on Maggie. "I have faced down the worst this universe has to offer and stood toe to toe with rogue Kryptoninan's all in order to do _one thing_...to _protect_ my sister. So I'm not worried about keeping myself safe, not when Lillian Luthor is sitting in my goddamn basement!"

"Which is why I'm trying to protect _you_." Maggie countered more angrily than was necessary. It was obvious that she was beginning to feel the stress of the situation. "This is what I was worried about, why I didn't want to do this!"

"Do what, Maggie?"

"Have a kid!" The tiny detective exclaimed angrily. She should have stopped herself as the hurt expression spread across her fiancée's face but the dam had burst. "I knew you would be like this. Ready to throw yourself away to take care of someone else like you aren't important! But you know what, Ally? You're the most important person to _me_. So, _please_ , let me watch your back."

"Maggie..." Alex stared at her aghast, her expression a mixture of hurt and confusion. "You...we... _this_ is something we're _definitely_ going to revisit later." Kara buried her face in her sister's neck and the heat in her skin reminded Alex where she had been headed. "I'm going to the med-bay now so if protecting me is what you need to do, you know where to find me."

Alex glowered at her fiancée before she shifted Kara on her hip and strode down the hallway. Maggie let her go, shocked that she had let her emotions get the best of her. She couldn't say she hadn't meant what she'd said, but she certainly had intended to break it to Alex more gently.

Maggie sighed heavily as she followed Alex reluctantly. At this rate, she wouldn't have to worry about Cadmus or Lillian or anyone else breaking up her relationship, she was doing it quite well all on her own.

* * *

"Hamilton!"

The doctor in question spun to find a very harried looking Alex Danvers storming into her med-bay with Kara clinging to her. The toddler was wearing only a thin onesie even though the DEO ran quite cold and from the wild look in the elder Danvers eyes, the little one was not recovering as well as previously believed.

"Danvers? I thought you weren't expected back until tomorrow?"

"Yeah, um...we were attacked and she solar flared again." Alex explained hastily trying and failing to lay the fussy toddler down on the med-bed. "She's running a fever, so I brought her here as soon as I noticed."

"Whoa, attacked?!" The doctor was understandably concerned. "Are you okay? Maggie?"

"We're fine. Maggie's fine." She glanced at the hallway as she said it, noting the detective had yet to follow her. "I might need you to patch my cast but...it's Kara I'm really worried about."

"Patch your cast? Jesus Christ, Danvers! How the hell do you break a cast?" Alex shot the doctor a withering look and the older woman quickly moved forward to check the younger Danvers over. "What was her temp?"

"103 as of five minutes ago."

"That is concerning considering her age. The solar flare is also worrisome. I'm going to give her a light sedative and some ibuprofen to bring her fever down, then have the sun lamps brought in. I assume we're going forward with the serum?"

"Yeah. As soon as we can get her stabilized." Alex agreed with a stiff nod. Hamilton could tell the agent wasn't happy about the situation but knew the woman was trying to put on a brave face for her scared sibling.

The doctor quickly prepared the injection while Alex swayed and cuddled the toddler, whispering soothing words to her and placing gentle kisses against the child's forehead. Maggie entered the med-bay then, wearing some DEO issue sweats and carrying one of Alex's tactical shirts. She must have taken a minute to change out of her soiled pajamas and thought that Alex might wish to do the same.

There was still tension between the pair but it was obvious that Maggie was trying to do what she always did, take care of her girls. Even if Alex was fighting her on it, even when the agent didn't realize she was pushing her away. She approached the pair cautiously, arms extended. Relief filled her when Alex gave a shaky nod, moving closer.

"Hey peanut," she whispered as Alex transferred the whimpering child into her arms. Kara's mood was quickly deteriorating as she began to feel the effects of the fever. "You're okay." Maggie added with a small kiss.

"I got this, Hamilton." The agent told the doctor, as she took the syringe in hand. "Please go see when my mom and Lena think they'll be ready."

"Of course. The sun lamps are on their way up. I'll be back to look at that cast." The doctor warned as she headed into the hallway, one finger pointed at the agent.

"Yeah, yeah..." Alex muttered as she rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her fiancée and sister.

"Maggie, feels icky. Want sissy!" Kara demanded, lower lip poked out adorably beyond her binky.

"I know baby. I know." She replied, rocking the girl gently. "Sissy's getting some medicine ready that's gonna make you feel better, okay? Can you snuggle with me for a little bit? I could really use some Kara snuggles. They're the best!"

Kara smiled a silly little smile at that. "I da best!" She parroted, little arms swinging wide.

Alex took the momentary distraction to quickly inject the mixture, wincing herself as the needle poked the little girl's chubby thigh. She retracted it just as quickly and moved to help Maggie comfort the toddler who had definitely felt the prick.

"I'm sorry baby! It's okay, you're okay. Just a little poke. You did so good!" Alex cooed to Kara as Maggie continued bouncing her lightly. "My brave girl. You're so brave!"

After a few minutes soothing, Kara's tears ceased and she began to settle down, rubbing her face gently against the soft material of Maggie's sweatshirt. "You should probably, uh, get cleaned up..." The detective gestured with her chin towards the clean shirt she'd brought in with her.

Alex nodded, stripping off her soiled top wordlessly and tossing it into a nearby trashcan. She winced as she did so, that had been her favorite shirt. With Maggie looking on she headed to the small sink and cleaned up as best she could before yanking the tactical shirt over her head.

"Thanks." She told Maggie quietly as she continued to rock the now sleeping toddler.

"I said I would always take care of you and I meant it." Maggie replied, fixing her with a firm gaze. "Even when you don't want it..."

"Maggie..."

"I shouldn't have said that." The tiny Latina interrupted. "Any of it. At least not that way."

"But you meant it." Alex challenged, arms crossed.

"Yeah, I mean, no. I meant it but not the way I said it." Maggie laid Kara gently on the med-bed. She ensured the rails were up and the child secure before approaching Alex, hands open in submission. "I just hate it when you push your own safety to the side for everyone else..."

"If ever there was a time to do that, I feel like this is it!" Alex retorted angrily.

"Ally..."

"Ma'am?" Both women looked up as Vasquez entered the med-bay. "The director was concerned when you were no longer in your quarters."

Alex sighed before directing the other agent's attention to the bed. "Kara was running a fever after the solar flare so we brought her here."

"Understood, ma'am." Vasquez nodded before handing the taller woman a tablet. "I thought you would want to monitor the prisoner transfer...from a safe place."

"Thanks, Vas." Alex replied, with a small smile before moving back to sit with Kara.

"I'll have agents positioned in the hall...as a _precaution_ , Ma'am."

"Of course. Thanks." Alex nodded, keeping her attention trained anywhere but on Maggie.

Vasquez gave both women a curt nod before fleeing from the stifling tension in the room. She could tell the situation was weighing heavily on the two women and tried to give the pair as much space as could be spared to work things out. Maggie nodded her thanks to the agent as well before approaching the med-bed. Alex had climbed fully atop the bed and draped Kara on her chest once more.

"Here." Maggie stepped outside the room, quickly returning with Kara's cape and Ice Cream in hand. She laid the warm, red fabric over the child's back and tucked the stuffed animal under her little arm. "To help her feel better." The detective explained sheepishly.

Alex nodded, watching Maggie with glassy eyes as the detective pulled up a nearby chair and sat, unwilling to place too much distance between them.

"How could you say it?" The agent asked quietly, answering her own question before Maggie could respond. "How could you say you never saw yourself as a mother, then come in here and do sweet things like that?"

Maggie gave a half-hearted shrug, gaze glued to the floor, completely caught of guard by the reverence in Alex's words. Her cheeks burned hot and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She blindly reached out a hand to Alex but still couldn't meet her gaze.

"I'm not going to force you." Alex continued in that same reverent tone, squeezing Maggie's hand lightly. "I could never do that to you. But I think Kara would agree with me in saying, you're a damn good mother, Sawyer. Even if you don't want to be."

Maggie began to cry in earnest then, leaning her forehead against Alex's shoulder as she let the tears fall. The agent simply stroked her hair and whispered reassurances as she let the tiny detective get it all out. Throughout this entire experience, Maggie had been her rock, steady and unwavering, pushing her own feelings aside. If her outburst in the hallway were anything to judge by, it would seem Maggie needed an outlet badly.

"I'm sorry." Maggie managed to whisper between sobs. "I'm sorry for what I said."

"I know." Alex responded with a gentle kiss to the other woman's forehead. "I know you are. I'm sorry, too. Sorry you feel pushed into this, sorry you think I don't understand how much I mean to you. I do, by the way. Understand, I mean. Because you mean that much to me, too."

"So what do we do?" Maggie whispered against Alex's neck as the taller woman pulled her close.

"We take it one step at a time I guess. First, we get this peanut back to her old self, throw Luthor and her goon into the deepest, darkest hole we can find and then...then we need to have a long, _hard_ talk."

"Harder than _this_?" Maggie asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, probably." Alex confirmed with a dry laugh.

"Damn." Maggie muttered before leaning up to look Alex in the eye. "But if it means I get to keep you, I'm in."

"Me too." Alex replied with a small smile. " _Forever_. Now get in here Sawyer before Hamilton comes back and starts bitchin' about my cast again!"


	14. Hurricane Lane

**Major Lane finally arrives to remove the DEO's captives. Lena makes an astonishing breakthrough that may just be the key to protecting them all and Alex is forced to watch Kara endure a pain she is unable to protect her from.**

* * *

"I am gonna _kill_ her!" Major Lucy Lane muttered to herself as she stormed through the halls of the DEO. "No, no I'm not gonna kill her until I find out she's okay...and Kara is okay...and Maggie...but then, _then_ I'm gonna kill her!"

Lucy rounded the corner to the med-bay and pulled up short at the window. She had already been briefed about what had happened, _knew_ about Lillian's plot, _knew_ Kara would be smaller, younger, but seeing it with her own eyes? The Major was at a loss for words. Maggie caught her eye through the glass and hastened to meet her in the hall.

"Luce. Hey!" Maggie gave her a small hug and an even smaller smile.

The Major noted that Maggie was wearing a set of their drab, yet functional DEO sweats and she was briefly reminded that the woman had been forced from her home unprepared, having to beat a hasty retreat in order to protect her family. Lucy almost wished for a pair of the unflattering sweats, stifled as she was in her dress uniform. When she'd heard what happened she'd left the tarmac and headed straight here. She was drawn from her musings by a muffled cry from the other side of the glass.

"Is that...?" Lucy's mouth remained open in shock as she watched Alex soothing the blonde toddler. Maggie simply nodded, turning to watch her girls as well. "Damn." Lucy whistled low. "And here I thought she was adorable as an _adult_. That's some next level cuteness!"

"Yeah." Maggie agreed with a smile bigger than the first. "She definitely tugs at your heart."

"Or your _ovaries_." Lucy remarked with a snort before staring at Maggie in horror! "Oh, Mags, I'm sorry! Me and my big mouth."

"It's okay Lucy. I know Alex confides in you..." Maggie remarked with a shrug. "We're, uh, we're figuring it out."

"That's good. I don't mean to pry. Just, uh...just don't go breaking my best agent's heart, okay? She's already unbearable!" Lucy nudged the detective's shoulder lightly with her own, trying to break the tension. She was relieved when Maggie nudged her back playfully.

"I'm trying not to." She told her with more seriousness than Lucy expected before changing topics. "So, you're here for Lillian and Henshaw?"

"Yeah." Lucy winced before continuing. "I'm sorry that robot creep got away from the desert base but you should know, it wasn't under my watch. I was in Washington when the order came down so my dad _graciously,"_ she lifted both hands to provide air quotes, "stepped in on my behalf."

"No wonder he got away." Maggie huffed in frustration before a nauseating thought struck her. "You don't think your dad...?"

"Let Henshaw go?" Lucy supplied with a frown and a shake of her head. "My dad can be an asshole, as I'm sure you've heard, but he's a patriot first and Henshaw is a threat to everyone, not just aliens. Plus, a few of our best men were lost during his escape."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks. I'm here to make sure it doesn't happen again. We underestimated him once, we won't make that mistake twice."

Alex looked up then, wondering where Maggie had gotten off to. When she saw Lucy, her face broke into a wide smile and she waved for the Major to come in. Lucy stepped through the door and approached the agent. The elder Danvers had propped Kara on her hip so she could see their visitor better.

Lucy entered cautiously, Maggie trailing behind. The Major wasn't quite sure what to do with the child before her. Kara looked exactly how she would have imagined her: big blue eyes, dirty blonde curls and irresistible chubby cheeks. The toddler tracked her across the room with cautious eyes, no doubt drawing some comfort from the fact that neither Alex nor Maggie seemed bothered by the woman's presence.

"Hey, kiddo." Lucy whispered, ducking her head to catch the child's eye. "Do you know who I am?"

Kara shyly eyed the Major for a moment, crinkle settling into her adorable brow. She was snuggled tightly against Alex's chest, tiny fist gripping her sister's shirt, head tucked under her sibling's chin. Lucy ducked a little closer when the child reached out a tiny hand to her. She took it and pressed a gentle kiss to the toddler's palm causing Kara to grin widely behind her binky.

"Wucy!" She squealed, giggling as the woman tickled her tummy gently.

"That's right! What a smart girl you are." Lucy cooed, instantly as enamored with the child as everyone else. Kara reached for her with both hands and after a confirming nod from Alex, the Major settled the smiling baby on her hip.

"Careful, Luce," Alex teased her, "once you get 'Kara snuggles' you won't want to give them up!"

"I don't doubt that." Lucy replied quietly, feeling her attachment to the child grow with every passing moment. "Unfortunately, that's not why I'm here."

Alex's expression went somber then. "Yeah, I know. Just promise me something?"

"They won't get away again, Alex. I wont give 'em the chance."

"Thanks, Luce."

"I should probably get up to command to help J'onn supervise the transfer and _you_ need to get this little one back to life-size!" She tried to joke a little at the end, hoping to lighten the somber mood. With a quick kiss to Kara's cheek she transferred the child back to Alex and headed out.

"Bu-bye Wucy!" Kara called out, waving enthusiastically.

Lucy blew the child a kiss through the window before settling into "Director Mode". She would be damned if she'd let anything happen to her friends. Though their relationship had been rocky in the beginning, she now considered the Danvers to be family. Cadmus was currently targeting that family and Lucy Lane, in all her five-foot mightiness, would crawl through hell over broken glass before she would let them take the shot.

* * *

So focused was Lucy on reaching her destination that she barreled straight into someone leaving one of the labs! She immediately recovered, apologizing profusely before her eyes settled on the woman before her.

" _You_?" She exclaimed, eyeing the impeccably dressed woman and immediately drawing her weapon. "You're a Luthor! What the hell are you doing here?"

Lena immediately threw her hands up in surrender, somewhat surprised that it had taken anyone in the DEO this long to draw a weapon on her. The Luthor name was exceptional at breeding distrust. Before the startled young woman could respond, a booming voice cut in.

"Stand down, Major!" J'onn bellowed with authority as he strode down the hall towards them. His tone left no room for argument but Lucy refused to obey the order.

"Do you know who this is?" She demanded, never taking her eyes off Lena.

"Yes. This is Lena Luthor, daughter of Lillian and Lionel, sister of Lex."

"Exactly! Do you have any idea what the Luthors have done to my family?! To yours?!" The Major pressed, inching dangerously closer to the other woman.

"Of course I know." He countered placing himself directly in the line of fire, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "Just like _you know_ how hard it is to step out of the shadow of your family name."

Lucy's resolve faltered at that, slowly lowering her weapon, she recalled all the terrible things her father had done to bring reproach on the Lane name. She holstered her sidearm and stepped back, arms crossed, waiting impatiently for J'onn to explain.

"Ms. Luthor is a _guest_ at the DEO. Her insight and research have been imperative in finding a cure for Kara's current state. With her help, Supergirl should be back out protecting the city in no time."

Lucy's mouth dropped open in surprise. "She knows?"

"I know a great many things, Major. That the DEO is _real_ , that my mother is as insane as previously believed, and yes, I _know_ that Kara is Supergirl." Lena piped in, sensing the danger had passed, ticking each item off on her fingers. "Kara's disguise was hardly convincing. I've known for awhile."

"It could use some work." Lucy conceded, still eyeing the woman suspiciously. "That doesn't explain why you'd help her."

A wounded look passed over Lena's face but it was gone in a flash. "Kara has become a very dear friend to me and it pains me that my mother's vendetta has harmed her."

"Yeah, well I know a thing or two about shitty parents." Lucy offered, trying to set the other woman at ease. If J'onn was willing to stare down the barrel of a gun for this woman and Alex was okay with her knowing Kara's secret, Lucy would give her the benefit of the doubt.

Lena smirked in response, accepting the olive branch gratefully. "Mommy issues?"

"No, my dad brings enough shame to our name for _two_ parents." Lucy added with a short laugh. Lena laughed too before squinting at the petite woman.

"Wait, Lane...as in _Lois_ Lane?"

Lucy snorted again. "That would be my egomaniacal older sister. Now you know my other source of shame."

"Ah, well, insanity is one of the Luthor's few redeeming family traits. Thank god, I'm adopted."

Both women laughed heartily at that, the tension melting away between them. J'onn watched the exchange with a small smile before becoming all business again. He cleared his throat to draw the two women's attention.

"Not to interrupt your bonding over poor parenting but we need to discuss the details of the prisoner transfer."

"Of course." Lucy agreed, all business once more. "I was on my way to command when Ms. Luthor and I had our... _misunderstanding_. Please accept my apologies, Ms. Luthor."

Lena waved the apology away with a sigh. "Call me Lena. I've become oddly comfortable being held at gunpoint so your apology is wholly unnecessary, Major."

"I'm offering it all the same." Lucy replied with a truly apologetic smile. "And it's Lucy. Seems we're all on the same side here."

"That we are." Lena replied with a smile before turning to J'onn. "I was on my way to speak with you Director. I wanted to show you this before you transfer Henshaw." She handed J'onn a tablet and waited as he skimmed over the open document.

"I'm not sure I understand what I'm looking at Ms. Luthor." He told her, eyebrows raised. Despite her best efforts, the man refused to call her by her first name.

"Even though Henshaw clearly deserved all he received, I cannot in good conscience allow him to suffer in that broken body. This algorithm should allow you to transfer his consciousness into a 'digital prison' of sorts until his body recovers or," she paused a moment swallowing painfully, " _if_ it recovers."

"That's incredible!" Lucy gasped as the younger woman explained the procedure. "So we can basically transfer his body without fear of escape. He would literally be trapped with no access to his cybernetic systems."

"Exactly. Less risk for you and your men while still remaining as ethical as possible with a dark ops organization, I suppose."

"That is all well and good but I'm more concerned about Kara's recovery then that snake's. Where are we in synthesizing of the serum?" J'onn asked firm but gently.

"That was my other news, Dr. Danvers and I have just finished. We'll be ready to begin the infusion within the hour."

J'onn gave her a broad smile. "Excellent work, Ms. Luthor. Are you sure I can't interest you in a position?"

"No, thank you. I'm quite content running my own billion-dollar corporation but if that should change, you'll be the first call I make Director."

"Much appreciated." The Martian replied, placing a gentle hand on Lena's shoulder before he turned to leave. "Major, you're with me. Let's get these criminals the hell off my base."

"Roger that, sir. See you around Lena." Lucy gave the young woman and playful salute before following J'onn back to the command center. Lena gave her a grateful smile in return, then re-entered the lab.

"I see you met Lucy." James stated, gesturing towards the hallway.

"Yes. The Major is _quite_ the character." Lena mused with a smile.

"Don't I know it?" The man agreed with a grunt.

"You know the Major?"

"Yeah." James rubbed distractedly at the back of his neck, a clear sign he was uncomfortable. "We dated a little..."

"Really?" Lena's interest was instantly peaked. "How long is 'a little'?"

"Five years."

"My, my Mr. Olsen. You and the 'super-friends' are _full_ of surprises."

* * *

Lena and Eliza returned to the med-bay pleased they had been able to take Lillian's formula and improve upon it. With the current mixture and concentration, it would take little more than three hours to get Kara back to the appropriate age. Unfortunately, the faster the Kryptonian's body aged, the more painful it would be. Alex and Eliza agonized over the decision knowing the more time it took to restore Kara, the more opportunity Cadmus would have to launch another kidnapping attempt.

"I developed a sedative a few months back that should keep Kara unconscious and _mostly_ pain free," Alex explained to the group, all waiting for the inevitable 'but'. "But, it will significantly slow down her healing and the return of her powers."

"After something like this, sweetie, she's going to take a while to heal no matter what." Eliza reasoned with her daughter, Kara in her lap contently munching on her third cookie. The little one was completely uninterested in the adult's conversation, only looking up when she heard her name but promptly returning to her snack.

"Knowing all that I do about Kara's physiology, I'm guessing it could take up to a week for her to start to recover, maybe more." Alex sighed as she sank into a chair near her mother. Predictably, as soon as her sister was in reach, Kara made her way to her sibling's lap. "Really?" Alex asked her with a tiny smile.

"Sissy wants the cookie?" Kara asked, extending the wet treat towards her sister.

Alex managed to contain her grimace and pushed the cookie back towards Kara. "No, thank you baby but that's very sweet of you." Kara smiled at the praise before happily stuffing the entire cookie in her mouth!

"Geez!" Maggie exclaimed with a smirk. "Little Danvers table manners have always been poor I see."

"You have no idea." Eliza retorted. "That girl drove me up the wall every Sunday dinner!"

"I can imagine that." Maggie mused but Hamilton entered before she could say more.

"Have we come to a decision?" The physician asked, not wanting to influence the women's choice. She knew how hard it was to make medical decisions for a loved one.

"We have." Eliza glanced at her daughter for confirmation before elaborating. "We're going to administer the more concentrated serum and keep her sedated during the procedure."

"Alright. I have everything already set up, as I knew we would be going forward with the procedure in one manner or another. Should we wait for Ms. Luthor?"

"No, she's helping with the prisoner transfer." Alex replied as she began to ready Kara. The agent had the insight to insert an I.V. line while the child was sleeping and the bag of cookies were on hand to distract Kara if need be.

Lena had exited a few minutes before to supervise the transfer of Henshaw's consciousness since she and Alex were the only people who truly understood the concept. The agent had described the theory to her fiancée and though Maggie was able to follow the majority of the science involved, the whole thing was too "Black Mirror" for her tastes. The detective had always been wary of the overuse of scientific applications so she happily shied away from being involved in the majority of Alex's DEO lab work.

"All right baby, it's time to take a little nap." Alex explained to her baby sister as she changed the child into an oversized hospital gown and laid her down while Eliza filled the little one's I.V. with the specially formulated sedative. It would only be a matter of time before the child fell unconscious and Alex didn't want to waste the opportunity to comfort her sibling.

The agent climbed onto the small bed, lying on her side so she and Kara were facing each other. She had plenty of space at the moment but it would be a tight squeeze once Kara started growing. It didn't matter to Alex, though; she would cling to the smallest corner of the mattress if it would help Kara. The little girl snuggled closer, gripping her sister's shirt in her tiny fist, staring up at Alex with big, trusting eyes that were rapidly drooping closed.

"You just go to sleep, okay?" Alex whispered, stroking the baby's hair gently. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna stay with you the whole time and if you get scared, I'll protect you. I love you so much, okay?"

"M'kay." Kara agreed sleepily. "Love sissy."

"What about me peanut?" Maggie leaned over the rails on the bed to place a gentle kiss on the baby's forehead. Kara giggled, extending her hand for Maggie to kiss that too.

"Silly Maggie." She murmured before falling asleep, binky hanging from her mouth.

"Alright, ladies." Hamilton waited for Maggie to pull up a chair to the side of the bed as Eliza moved to the infusion device to ensure everything was in order. The mother glanced at her daughter for confirmation before nodding to the doctor. "Here we go..." she murmured as the machine whirred to life and began pumping the little Kryptonian full of the mixture that would hopefully bring this nightmare to an end.

* * *

The next few hours were tense to say the least.

It was almost surreal to Alex watching her little sister's limbs change and grow in the bed beside her. In the beginning, Kara had done little more than shift and whimper, the sedative keeping her relatively comfortable. However, by the first hour mark the young kryptonian began to thrash and cry out, skin slick with sweat, the sedative unable to keep the burning pain from breaking through. Bruises were visible all over her body as the bones shifted and the skin was forced to accommodate.

By the time an hour and a half passed, Kara appeared to be around 15 and Maggie had to excuse herself because she could no longer stand the pained cries the girl was emitting. She felt like a coward, like she was letting Alex down but she knew losing her composure in front of her fiancée would split the agent's focus and Kara needed her sister now more than she ever had. Eliza was about to follow Maggie out, to comfort the tiny detective while Alex was unable, when Kara's monitors began to go wild!

"She's crashing!" The panicked mother rushed towards the monitors before yelling back to Alex. "Blood pressure is rising! Her hearts working too hard! We have to calm her down."

"Kara?!" Alex straddled her sister, using her body to keep the child as still as possible. She cradled the sick girl's face between her hands and pressed their foreheads together, comforting the child as best she could. "Baby, listen to me. I know it hurts. _I know_. And I'm sorry! I wish it was me, I wish I could do this for you baby but I _can't_. So I need you to be strong and I need you to be brave."

The only response to her plea was the slightly less panicked breaths Kara began taking as she pressed her forehead firmly against her sister's, small hands gripping the sheets with white knuckles. Eliza quickly injected more of the sedative into the I.V. drip, hoping it would be enough to calm the child's system while Alex had her somewhat relaxed.

"There you go. There you go, baby." Alex praised as the girl began to settle down. "You're doing so good. This will all be over soon and then I promise you we'll have 'Sister Night' for a week and eat a mountain of pot stickers. We'll drink as much hot chocolate as you want and watch _all_ the Disney movies. Okay? You just be strong with me a little longer."

Hamilton rushed into the bay, alerted by the spike in Kara's vitals. She conferenced with Eliza quietly off to one side, making sure that the treatment was indeed proceeding as planned with the least amount of side effects. There was one item that seemed to be particularly troubling and both women decided to double check the next dose in the lab before administering it.

"Alex." The Danvers matron laid a gentle hand on her daughters back. "We're stepping out to check something in the lab. I'll be back soon."

Eliza waited for her daughter to nod her understanding before quietly slipping out with the doctor. All of Alex's attention remained focused on Kara, on keeping her calm, helping her bear the pain that Cadmus brought on her. The agent sat back on her heels a little, trying to get a better look at her sister's face. Though still slightly pinched in discomfort, the expression Kara currently wore was vastly improved from a few minutes ago. Alex marveled at the sight before her. Kara looked exactly as she remembered her, sneaking out with Kenny, hogging the bathroom and laying on their roof staring at the stars.

She gently thumbed away the tears still escaping silently from her little sister's closed lids. "I got you. I got you, Kara. I won't let anyone hurt you. I swear."

There was a clicking sound to her right and the agent turned her head slightly towards it, trying to determine the source. Before she could move to investigate, Alex heard a sound she was all too familiar with.

A firing pin!

"Shit!" Alex threw her body over Kara just as the windows burst inward, the force of the blast flipping the med-bed onto its side! She clung to her sister as fiercely as she could in her disoriented state. "I got you...I got you..." Was all she could manage to gasp before everything went dark.


	15. Stand Your Ground

**The DEO is in chaos after the explosion near the med-bay! Lucy and J'onn struggle to find a way to reach their Danvers girls. Meanwhile, Alex has to figure out how to protect her sister until help can arrive and where the heck is Maggie?!**

* * *

Henshaw's eyes snapped open as he struggled to get his bearings. He was definitely in a containment cell, one not so different from the one he'd already escaped.

This was too easy.

He blinked a few more times trying to clear the mental fog. The last he remembered, he had been at L-Corp about to give Lillian's traitorous spawn exactly what she _deserved_ and there, just a few feet away from him was the bitch herself, flanked by two armed DEO agents.

"YOU?!" He bellowed, lunging for the girl. To Lena's credit, she only flinched back slightly remembering at the last minute that her mother's lackey couldn't hurt her in his current state.

"I hope you'll find your new accommodations to your liking." The younger Luthor regained her composure, stepping closer to the containment field. Henshaw lurched for her again, only to watch in horror as his hand vanished before his very eyes!

"What the hell?!" He snatched his arm back to himself and watched as it rematerialized. "What did you do?"

"So accusatory." Lena clucked, making adjustments on her tablet. "Where's the _gratitude_? If it weren't for me, you'd be trapped in that rusted tin body my mother made for you."

"You just wait 'til I get out of here!" He growled, laser eye glowing red.

"You won't." Lena cut him off, holding up the tablet for him see. "This is _you_. Or rather, a _digital copy_ of your consciousness. Outside of those holo-emitters placed around the cell, you cease to exist. This is the end for you, my mother, and Cadmu-"

Lena was cut off as a massive explosion rocked the DEO!

She fell to her knees as the entire building continued to shake for several more minutes. One of the agent's scrambled to help Lena to her feet while the other was frantically yelling into his comm's in an effort to find out what was going on.

"Ms. Luthor! We have orders to secure you and return you to the command center ma'am. There's been an explosion near the med-bay."

Lena gasped in horror. "Kara!"

There was a low laugh behind her and she turned to find Henshaw smirking down at her. "Seems you may have counted your Kryptonians before they've hatched..."

* * *

"Dammit! Dammit!" Lucy cursed as she picked herself up off the floor of the command center. "This is why I hate the city!"

Winn grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet as J'onn bellowed orders into his comm, trying desperately to scramble teams to the med-bay. The explosion had blocked all access to the that level and despite the Martian's best efforts he couldn't get a mental read on either Kara or Alex.

"We have to get down there!" Lucy was already heading towards the armory. "I'm suiting up. Someone get me an access point. Vasquez, Hughes, and Johnson on me."

"No, Major, I need you here. I may be the only person strong enough to clear that passageway. But if something happens to me or Alex..." J'onn swallowed hard before steeling himself. "You're the last in our chain of command."

"J'onn, no..." Lucy grabbed at him desperately, not willing to think the worst.

"That's an order, Major." J'onn told her firmly, handing over his earpiece. "You have command."

"Respectfully, sir, I am disobeying that order." J'onn turned towards Lucy with an unreadable expression, anger bubbling inside him that she would choose this moment to buck his authority. The petite brunette squared her shoulders and met his gaze. " _Yes_ , you are the strongest person on this base but you also have a _unique vulnerability_."

To illustrate her point, the Major moved over to one of the work stations, sweeping glass and debris to the floor as she pulled up a set of schematics on the remaining screens. She pointed to several areas highlighted in red.

"These are the access points leading to the med-bay. We have no idea what the conditions are in these hallways and the emergency systems aren't responding, meaning they've probably been disabled. An explosion of that size, J'onn? There will be fires, _everywhere_!" Lucy stared at the Martian, knowing the implication of her words. "If you get incapacitated, I'd have to leave command anyway. Let me go. Let me clear the way. I made a _promise_ to Alex, that she would be safe, that she and Kara would be protected."

J'onn nodded curtly. "Go. I'll keep trying to get teams from the lower levels up there. As soon as you get the emergency systems on..."

"I got it, J'onn. I won't fail you." Lucy placed a firm hand on his forearm before leading her to the armory. _C'mon, Danvers_. She thought to herself. _You're a badass. Show me. Show them. You're Kara's only hope._

* * *

Alex was surrounded by smoke and heat.

There was something burning nearby but she couldn't figure out why or what had happened. Was she cooking again? Had Kara lost control of her heat vision? Whatever the cause, it produced a cloyingly thick smoke that had the agent coughing violently until her eyes were forced open.

"Where?" She croaked, trying to remember what happened and why she was surrounded by destruction. Alex clenched her eyes, already tearing up from the smoke, as she tried to recall the last few hours. There was a fight, she broke her arm again somehow, Lillian Luthor and..."Kara?!"

Alex frantically tried to get to her feet when her shoulder bumped into something soft and warm. She rolled to her side and saw her sister, or rather a teenage version. The girl was still unconscious and appeared for the most part unharmed. Alex pulled herself into a sitting position and peered cautiously over the side of the bed. The entire med-bay was in disarray. Beds were strewn everywhere, cabinets knocked onto their sides and the floor was covered in shattered glass from the two windows that had burst inward. The med-bay was one of the few places in the DEO that didn't have bulletproof glass; a flaw Alex made a note to rectify as soon as this mess was over. She could tell the explosion came from the hallway because that was where the remaining fires continued to burn.

Alex slumped back down next to her sister, forcing herself to come up with a plan even though her ears were ringing and her back was throbbing, most likely from the rough landing she'd taken on her sister's behalf. _Focus Danvers_ , she chided herself. _You've been through worse. You have to protect Kara, so figure this out!_

The agent quickly checked her sibling over, noting the infusion pump was still working and the sedative had yet to wear off. She briefly considered righting the bed and putting Kara back in it but quickly realized the element of surprise was her best weapon at the moment. Moving the girl around was easy; teenage Kara was a featherweight, and Alex had the girl positioned on a comfortable makeshift pallet in no time. She glanced at the reflection in the window and was pleased to note, the bed would appear empty from the hallway, keeping Kara effectively hidden.

Tapping the comm in her ear, Alex waited tersely for a response, static, _anything_ that would indicate that she was not as alone as she felt. With a frustrated sigh, she ripped the earpiece out, raking a hand through her hair as she weighed her options. She couldn't leave Kara and moving the girl was out of the question. Her sister's condition was too fragile, especially since they had just endured an ear-bleeding explosion. The constant burning of her eyes and the suffocating smoke led her to her first objective. A quick check of the oxygen tanks found only one undamaged. Alex secured the mask over Kara's face ensuring that the younger girl wouldn't be too affected by the toxic cloud.

Whatever had caused the explosion seemed to have knocked out the emergency systems, including the sprinklers and filtration. She drug her aching body over to a nearby control panel to assess the damage. The screen was completely fried so he used her cast to smash the glass open, exposing the wires inside. With a bent scalpel she found on the floor, she began stripping and re-connecting wires, ignoring her bleeding fingertips in hopes of providing a breathable atmosphere for her sister and herself.

"Please, please, please..." she muttered between coughs as she twisted the last wire into place. After a noisy startup the vents above her soon opened and began to pull the deadly smoke out, smothering the fire as well. Alex slumped back against the wall as she gulped in as much clean air as she could. "Oh, thank Rao. One problem down..."

Next she righted a few of the cabinets and shoved them against the broken windows. If she had to make a stand in the med-bay at least they would provide some protection. Before she could congratulate herself, there was a commotion in the hall. Thankfully, her favorite gun was still tucked in her waistband. She crept over to Kara, and once she was sure the girl was concealed, moved toward the med-bay doors, gun drawn.

Crouching next to the half wall, she lifted herself just enough to peek into the hallway. Two forms came into view, one definitely not human. The first was a K'hund whose face Alex had immensely enjoyed smashing after finding him involved in a child trafficking ring. The other she recognized as the female Infernian that she and Maggie had taken down for attempting to assassinate the president.

Alex was glad her fiancée wasn't currently around because the Infernian nursed a heavy grudge against the tiny detective. She would jump at the chance to cause Maggie pain and that hate extended to Alex and Supergirl easily. _Heat Vision_ , Alex thought to herself. That's how they'd caused the explosion. But why would a couple of neer-do-well aliens attack the med-bay? They didn't know Kara was Supergirl and it would have been much easier for them to escape from the containment level than the literal middle of the DEO. She was missing something...

"Oh, Alexandra." The voice that called her name made the agent's blood immediately run cold. "I have some friends I'd like you to meet, dear."

Lillian Luthor.

How she had convinced these aliens to work with her was an all too easy mystery to solve. Lillian had promised them revenge. On _her_. She was the agent who busted them, humiliated them and stuffed them into cells. They would jump at the chance to hurt her in return. And as they took care of Alex, Lillian would take care of Kara.

NO.

Alex would _not_ let that happen.

If she had to fight these animals back with her bare hands, she would keep Kara safe. _Hands_ , she needed _both_ hands. Alex glanced down and as if sent by an unseen savior, there by her foot, laid a syringe of re-gen meds. The medicine had been prepped for Kara in case the girl crashed again but Alex was about to use it to her advantage. Her cast was already broken in several places and she had it pried off in no time. Lillian was still taunting her; content to wait for Alex to emerge, as she knew there was no way out.

With a muttered prayer, the agent jammed the syringe into her broken arm!

The fire that coursed through her veins almost forced her to cry out but she bore down and rode the wave as her bones began to re-knit themselves. She knew right away that the limb hadn't healed correctly but at least all her fingers moved. It was enough to fight. With determination, the agent stood and strode into the hallway, gun hidden behind her back to face down Lillian once more.

"There she is." The villainous woman clucked. "Woman of the hour. I made a few new acquaintances while visiting your containment area and they were just _dying_ for a reunion with you. You do leave _quite_ an impression, Alexandra."

Alex ignored Lillian, instead training her attention on the two aliens. "What did she promise you? Another shot at me? I don't know why you'd want it. Things are gonna end the same way they did before, with me beating your sorry asses and throwing you back into containment."

"I wouldn't be so sure." The Infernian smirked at her. "It's three against one. I like our odds."

"You always were as dumb as you looked." Alex smirked then dove to the ground as the alien woman unleashed a brutal beam of heat vision at her! She took cover behind a large chunk of debris and fired straight into the woman's chest, sending her sprawling down the hallway before she landed limp and useless.

"Bitch!" The K'hund roared as he tossed the piece of concrete she had hidden behind like a crumpled tissue. "I've been waiting for this..."

He grabbed Alex by the collar and slammed her against the wall! The agent felt her teeth clack together on the impact as spots dance before her eyes. She managed to squeeze off a few shots to his scaly solar plexus but they did little to slow the beast, only enraging him as he dropped her roughly on the ground. Lillian stayed back; watching the one-sided fight with detached interest, content to let the hired help do her dirty work.

"Not so cocky now, are we?" The brute snarled as he picked her up again, tossing her back into the med-bay where Alex seized her chance.

Scrambling back towards Kara she yelled out, "Emergency Containment Protocol! Authorization Danvers A., 3446752!"

As soon as the last number left her mouth, heavy steel walls slammed into place, surrounding the entire med-bay except for the areas she had barricaded. Those windows had been damaged in the blast but would provide some protection nonetheless. Lillian's face was a mask of rage that Alex barely saw before the last wall slid into place. The agent collapsed back next to her sister, aching more than before and exhausted.

 _Please, J'onn_... she thought, hoping he could hear her. _Please. I'm out of ideas._ The intercom near the door crackled to life and Alex _knew_ it wasn't good news.

"Honestly, Alexandra." Lillian's bored tone carried through the room. "How many times must I teach you this _lesson_?"

* * *

Maggie should have seen them coming.

But in her haste to get back to the med-bay, she'd let her guard down and now that damned Infernian who thought frying the president was her best option, was dragging her down the hallway by her hair.

Every time she tried to pull away, Lillian would jam her gun into the detective's ribs, urging her forward. Maggie knew the woman was liable to shoot her either way but at the moment she needed to play along until she could find out where Alex and Kara were.

As it turned out, they were exactly where she'd left them, only Alex had initiated a lockdown of the area leaving she and Kara trapped inside, and Maggie trapped outside.

"I will say this only _once_ , Alexandra." Lillian spoke coldly into the intercom. "Turn the Kryptonian over to me or I will let your old _friends_ take turns on your precious detective."

Cold dread gripped Alex's stomach and she had to steel herself before responding. "I don't believe you."

Maggie was shoved towards the door, the gun placed menacingly at her head. "Speak." Lillian ordered her.

"Alex don't do it! Don't-" The words were ripped from Maggie's mouth as Lillian brought her pistol down across her cheek!

"Maggie!" Alex couldn't pretend she wasn't afraid anymore.

"Open the door, Alexandra." Lillian ordered again, sure she had the agent on the ropes.

"No." She barely managed to respond. She couldn't open that door. If she did, they would all die. But she couldn't bear the thought of Maggie dying _first..._ "Maggie, I'm sorry..."

"I know." Maggie gasped as she pushed herself off the floor on the other side of the door. "I know you are... it's okay..."

Lillian raised her gun, sneering down at Maggie with disgust. "Goodbye, detective."

"Luthor!" A voice called out before she could pull the trigger. All eyes turned to see Henshaw at the end of the dimly lit hallway. "There's another way." He told her, peaking the woman's interest.

"I see you've managed to free yourself once more." She clucked approvingly, lowering her gun from Maggie's head. "What do you suggest?"

"THIS!" Lucy screamed as she and her team flooded the hallway, taking down the K'hund and the Infernian in a hail of bullets and laser beams! Several struck Lillian as well, dropping the woman to her knees and allowing Maggie to retrieve her gun. "You okay?" Lucy asked as she ran up to Maggie.

"Yeah, yeah. I've had worse. You're one hell of a shot Little Lane." Maggie told her with a lopsided smile as the brunette dragged Lillian's arms roughly behind her back, securing the villain. "Did I just see Henshaw?"

Lucy shrugged, shoving Lillian against the wall. "Some kind of hologram. You'd have to ask Lena if you want the details. For now, lets get our girls out." She turned to her team. "Secure the prisoners."

"It's in lockdown." Maggie told her, gesturing at the door.

"Disarm Emergency Containment Protocol. Authorization Lane, L. 267794." Lucy smirked at Maggie as the door opened.

The detective immediately rushed to her fiancée who was dazedly slumped on the floor, back against a wall. "Ally?! Hey! Hey baby, it's me. You okay?"

"Maggie?" Alex's eyes were unfocused and her speech was slurred. "She hurt you." The agent observed bringing an uncoordinated hand to the other woman's bruised cheek.

Maggie shrugged off her concern. "It's okay. I'm more worried about you. Ally where's your cast? Baby, I need you to stay awake! What happened to your cast?" Maggie patted Alex cheeks firmly in an effort to get her to focus.

"I...I took if off...I had to fight..." Alex responded sluggishly, letting her head fall against Maggie's shoulder. "Hurts..." she whimpered.

Both Maggie and the Major went into high alert. "What hurts Alex?" Lucy asked, kneeling on the agent's other side. "Alex? Where are you hurt?"

"Major!" There was a shout from the hallway and Lucy jumped to her feet.

"Stay with her." Lucy ordered as she hurried out.

With gentle movements, Maggie moved Alex around until she could cradle her in her arms. The way her fiancées eyes danced around had Maggie even more worried than before. Alex had already suffered one concussion and there seemed to be a high possibility that she'd injured her brain once more. Maggie didn't want to think about what that could mean.

"We got a problem." Lucy announced, as she stormed back into the med-bay looking shaken by whatever she had just witnessed in the hall.

"I think Alex has another concussion." Maggie blurted out, tears in her eyes.

"Shit." Lucy exclaimed, terrified by the way Alex was behaving and Maggie's expression. "The back-up med-team and Hamilton are on their way up now. She just needs to hold on a little longer. What about Kara?"

"I don't know." Maggie admitted. She hadn't even thought about the younger Danvers, as Alex's condition had been so distressing. "I think she's okay. Alex would have made sure she's okay."

"Right." Lucy agreed, sparing a worried glance at Alex. The agent was shivering in Maggie's arms, face covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Her eyes were open but they couldn't seem to focus. Lucy tore her eyes away and they landed on a syringe by the door, along with the remnants of Alex's black cast. "Oh no..."

"What?" Maggie questioned in panic but Lucy pulled away and started yelling into her comm.

"Where's that team?! We have a medical emergency in the med-bay! Code blue!" The Major ran back to the pair on the floor and quickly covered Alex with a discarded blanket. "We gotta keep her warm." She explained.

"Lucy, what the hell is going on?! What's wrong with her?" Maggie demanded, tears streaming down her face.

"It's not a concussion." Lucy told her with a somber expression. "She's going into anaphylactic shock."


	16. Let The Healing Begin

**The 'super-friends' finally get a chance to rest and recuperate despite an ever-looming threat. The Danvers sisters have been through unspeakable pain and they will need their friends and their family to pull through but will someone closest to them walk away when needed most?**

* * *

Maggie entered the quiet room with a sigh, closing the door gently behind her. Ever mindful of the sleeping occupants, she crossed the dimly lit area with ease since she'd practically been living there recently. Before now, she had spent no more than a few minutes at most in Alex's DEO quarters. With the med-bay still under repair and the Danvers sisters in need of serious medical care, the room had been transformed into a makeshift hospital suite.

Lena had somehow convinced National City General to lend them additional medical equipment, as there were items the DEO simply did not possess and checking the sisters into an actual medical ward would have raised too many questions. Maggie guessed that Lena could have gotten anything she wanted from the city's largest hospital having just built them a state-of-the-art children's wing. Besides the two hospital beds, monitors of every shape and size beeped softly in the background, and Kara's sunlamps covered the room in a warm glow even when no other light source was present.

The tiny detective couldn't believe it had been only two days since Alex had barricaded herself in the destroyed med-bay and pumped herself full of deadly drugs. As it turned out, the re-gen meds Alex had taken were meant for _strictly_ non-human patients (something she was sure Alex must have known) and the concentration had been so high that the agent's body immediately began to reject the concoction. Add to that the rapid and grotesque manner in which the eldest sibling's bones had healed, it was remarkable Alex managed to fight as long as she had.

Maggie eased herself into the stiff plastic chair, bypassing the soft couch in favor of being closer to her beloved. She took Alex's uninjured hand in her own, silently cataloguing the other woman's injuries. Hamilton had just cleared her to see her fiancée again after a two-hour surgery to repair Alex's broken arm. Maggie had wanted the doctor to perform the surgery immediately, able to discern without a medical degree that there was something _off_ about the injured limb, but the older woman had patiently explained their first priority was to flush the dangerous meds from Alex's system and get her stabilized. Had they operated immediately, the agent's compromised system could have put her into full arrest as it fought off the foreign entities.

The detective reached out and traced the other woman's face gently with her fingertips. Alex's fever had gone; she was breathing on her own and seemed to be resting comfortably despite all her injuries. In addition to her new soft cast, complete with a halo of screws attached to a wire frame, the agent's body was littered with bruises and cuts from her encounter with the K'hund, several of her fingertips were burned from rewiring the emergency systems and one of her eardrums had been damaged in the explosion. While all of that was certainly concerning, Maggie had been relieved that Alex's CT scans had come back clear showing no more injury there then she'd already endured earlier that week.

 _Jesus_ , Maggie thought to herself squeezing her eyes shut in disbelief. _Has it only been a week?_

Remarkably, it had been just last Tuesday when Alex had come to take her to lunch, right before all hell had broken loose. Maggie opened her eyes and glanced across the room at Kara, once again back to her correct size and age. Since Alex had been unable, Lena had stayed with the younger girl through the final hours of her transformation, comforting as best she could. Though her presence could never be as soothing as the elder Danvers, Kara had seemed to benefit from it all the same. Currently, the young Luthor was in the lab with Eliza working on a way to infuse Kara's suit with some type of Kryptonite detection system as well as improve the output of the sunlamps to speed the hero's recovery along.

Alex had woken up briefly in the last 48 hours but Kara had yet to even stir. Maggie could see the bruises still littering Kara's body from the shifting of bone and stretching of ligaments. She couldn't imagine the kind of agony Kara must have been in but if the tear tracks still visible on the blonde's face where any indication, it had been more than anyone deserved to endure. The hand within hers twitched and Maggie quickly shifted her attention back to Alex.

"Ow..." the redhead whined pitifully, though she didn't open her eyes. Maggie rose quickly and pulled the sheet hanging from the ceiling around Alex's bed, blocking some of the blinding light of the sunlamps before returning to her side.

"You gonna wake up for me babe?" She asked quietly, gently rubbing Alex's cheek to rouse her. The woman in question took a few sharp breaths then finally cracked her eyes open slightly.

"M-maggie?" She asked, voice thick with confusion and exhaustion.

"Yeah. Yeah, baby, it's me. How you feeling?"

"Like I got in a fight...then drank a bottle of tequila..." Alex scrunched her brow adorably as she tried to remember, the 'Danvers crinkle' immediately present. "And then got in another fight." She concluded, turning her head towards Maggie with a sigh as the other woman chuckled.

"Good guess." She teased her, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to Alex's forehead. "But, I'm afraid you're way off, Danvers."

"Damn." Alex muttered sleepily. "That actually sounded like a lot of fun."

Maggie couldn't help but laugh heartily at that. "Yeah, it really does. Maybe once you're all healed up..."

"Promise?" Alex's eyes had drifted closed again but she was still facing Maggie.

"Promise." Maggie replied as she placed a small kiss on Alex's lips, noting the dopey smile her fiancée wore when she pulled back. "You had me really scared for a minute there Danvers..." Maggie told her quietly, trying to fight the tears that welled up in her eyes.

Alex opened her eyes again, staring at Maggie apologetically. "I'm sorry. For all of it, Maggie."

"Did you know? When you took that stuff, I mean. Did you know what it would do to you?"

"Yes." Alex answered without hesitation. "It was the only way I could keep Kara safe until help came."

"You could have died." Maggie whispered, unable to stop the tears from falling.

"I had to try, Mags. You understand that, don't you?"

"Yeah. Doesn't mean I have to like it." She replied sullenly, angrily swiping at her tears.

"That's fair, I guess." Alex told her with a small smile, trying to catch Maggie's eye. When she couldn't, she shifted slightly in bed only to let out a pained gasp!

Maggie's head immediately shot up when Alex cried out in pain. "What is it? Baby, what's wrong?"

"It's okay," Alex assured her through clenched teeth. "I just...I just moved my arm too much I guess..." Maggie clucked disapprovingly and walked to the other side of the bed, inspecting Alex's cast.

"You just got out of surgery a couple hours ago. Hamilton was not happy with the 'hack job' you did on yourself. Her words, not mine."

"Is this my punishment?" Alex groaned as she eyed the contraption attached to her limb.

"No, that's above my pay grade, Danvers." A voice called from the door. Hamilton walked in and began checking Alex's monitors before adjusting her I.V. and turning to face her surly patient. "How are you feeling?"

Alex gave a noncommittal grunt and Maggie stepped in to help. "She seemed pretty sore when she woke up." The detective supplied.

"That's to be expected after the stunt you pulled Danvers." Hamilton eyed her with a disapproving glare. "What you did was reckless and stupid and," the doctor paused to place a gentle hand on the agent's leg. "Probably the _bravest_ thing I've ever seen."

Maggie beamed with pride beside the doctor as the agent blushed and looked away. "Yeah, uh, thanks." She muttered, unsure how to respond to the praise.

"Of course." The older woman told her warmly. "As for your punishment, I suppose you'll have to speak to the Director...or your _mother_ about that."

"Mom? Why?!" Alex squeaked in protest.

"Babe," Maggie interrupted quietly. "Your mom wants you both to come back to Midvale until you're feeling better. I have to go back to work soon and you and Little Danvers are gonna need looking after."

"I know..." Alex sighed. "Doesn't mean I have to like it..."

"I'll leave you two alone to discuss." Hamilton told them with a small smile. "I've increased her pain meds since it seems the nerve block has worn off. Maggie, please make sure she stays put and eats something?"

"You got it, doc." Maggie agreed with a nod reaching for her phone as the doctor saw herself out. "What do you wanna eat, babe? I'll call it in."

"Not hungry." Alex mumbled, eyes once again closed, a pained expression on her face.

Maggie sighed as she insisted. "Alex, I know you don't like to rely on other people but your mom just wants to help and you heard the doc just now. You need some real food in your system, the last meal you had in days was a couple slices of pizza."

"M'not hungry..." Alex whined again and this time Maggie could tell that Alex wasn't just being difficult.

"Okay, okay, baby." She told her in a soft voice, gently running her fingers through the injured woman's hair. "What do you need?"

"Kara." Alex whispered, a single tear finding it's way down her cheek.

"She's right here, babe and she's gonna be just fine because of you." Maggie cooed, trying desperately to soothe her mates' sudden distress. It did little to lift the other woman's mood and for a moment the detective was at a loss until her fiancée spoke again.

"She's really okay?" Alex asked tearfully, her emotions getting the best of her in her weakened state.

"See for yourself..." Maggie pulled back the curtain separating the siblings so that the wounded agent could finally lay eyes on her sister.

Alex had never beheld a more beautiful sight than Kara, in all her twenty-six year old glory, slumbering under the sunlamps. Even though her sister looked far too pale, lying far too still to simply be asleep, her chest was moving in a steady rhythm and even now the bruises were beginning to fade.

"I need..." the agent struggled to throw her blankets back, swinging her legs over the side of the bed before groaning in pain.

" _Whoa_ , whoa there!" Maggie rushed to catch her as she nearly fell flat on her face. She pushed Alex gently back into her bed, tucking her back in easily. "What are you trying to do?"

Despite the pain radiating through her body and the rolling nausea in her stomach, Alex was determined to get closer to her sister; she couldn't believe the miracle in front of her until she could feel Kara's warm hand clasped in hers, run her fingers through her sister's golden locks.

"I need to be closer to her." Alex ground out, trying to will Maggie to understand.

"Okay, okay babe." Maggie agreed, stroking Alex's cheek gently, mentally kicking herself that she hadn't anticipated Alex's need to check on Kara's recovery personally. "I have an idea but you gotta stay in bed, yeah?"

"Yeah." Alex agreed begrudgingly, grunting as she shifted in an attempt to get comfortable.

She gave Alex's hand a quick squeeze before she jumped up, shifting the sunlamps around Kara's bed until there was just enough room to complete her objective. Moving back to Alex, she bent to unlock the wheels on her bed and started moving the agent to the other side of the room.

"Wha-?" Alex jerked at the sudden movement, having dozed in just the few short minutes it had taken Maggie to rearrange the room, but relaxed at her voice.

"I'm just getting you guys a little closer, 'kay?"

Once the beds were close enough, Maggie dropped the side rails on each, shoving them together as gently as she could. The collision caused Alex to open her eyes again and when she did, they were filled with what Maggie hoped were happy tears.

"Kara..." she whispered, reaching out for her sister. She quickly linked her hand with her sisters, gently running her thumb over Kara's warm skin. Alex tried to pull herself closer but couldn't get her broken body to comply. She smiled softly at Maggie when the tiny detective slipped her arms around her and gently slid her until the siblings were side by side.

The peace that seemed to settle over Alex's features as the pair were reunited warmed Maggie's heart. She rearranged the blankets over them, made sure there were several pillows supporting Alex's broken arm and dimmed the sunlamps so the agent could rest without the lights bearing down on her. Alex had laid her head against her sister's shoulder and immediately fallen asleep.

Maggie was sure there was some DEO medical protocol she was breaking but she couldn't have cared less. _Hamilton can fight me_ , she mused. _They need this. They need each other_. Leaning over Alex, she pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and then one to Kara's before settling back in her stiff, plastic chair.

"Get some rest you two. El Mayrah." She whispered.

* * *

The first time Kara opened her eyes in what felt like an eternity, she was instantly blinded by the glare of the sunlamps positioned above her. She squirmed away only to be met with a warm, solid object. Someone was in the bed with her. She turned her head slightly to find her sister, dozing against her shoulder.

Had Alex been wearing a cast when she'd last seen her?

Kara couldn't remember; nor did she remember the bruises lining her sister's neck or the plethora of wounds she could see peeking out of her sister's tank.

As a matter of fact, she couldn't really remember _anything_ that happened after the raid she'd gone on with Alpha Team. She wanted to wake Alex, ask her what was going on, why she was in a hospital bed, stuck under those damn sunlamps but the elder girl looked absolutely exhausted. For some reason, Kara knew it had something to do with her, that she was the cause for her sibling's fatigue. A rustling to her left caught her attention and a smiling face came into view.

"Maggie?" she squinted up at the figure in question.

"Hey, Little Danvers." The detective whispered in response, dimples on full display. "Glad to have you back."

"What's going on?" Kara asked as she moved to sit up but Maggie simply pushed her back down with a gentle hand.

"You girls have had one hell of a week." Maggie replied gently. Noting the confusion on her face she smiled again. "We'll talk more later. Go back to sleep. You two deserve it."

At the mere suggestion, Kara felt her eyes grow heavy again, the warmth and security of her sister by her side lulling her back to sleep. Maggie hummed her approval as she tucked the blankets securely under their chins before she reached out and stroked Kara's cheek gently.

"Goodnight, peanut." She whispered and Kara couldn't explain why but she suddenly felt so safe and loved as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Lucy strolled back into the DEO weary, bloody but triumphant.

With both Henshaw and Lillian out of the way, Cadmus had all but scattered, a few rogue pockets fighting their extinction to the bitter end. This had been the third warehouse in as many days that the Major and her team (including Guardian) had infiltrated, freeing aliens and taking all resistors into custody. Henshaw had been transferred to the desert base without issue, at least his consciousness. The villain's cyborg body had been shipped to the other side of the country as a precaution. This time Lucy was certain that he would never again pose a threat to her family.

Lillian was another story.

While Maggie had been occupied with trying to stabilize Alex in the med-bay, Lucy had returned to her team in the hallway. She hadn't wanted to believe it but the proof was cuffed on the floor right before her.

Lillian Luthor was nowhere to be seen.

In her place sat a female Saturnian the DEO had rescued just a few weeks prior from alien slave-traders. The Saturnian's were extremely powerful telepaths and more than capable of pulling off such a wide-scale deception. Lillian had somehow convinced the misguided female that the DEO were her true enemy and that were she to side with her, Lillian would ensure she escaped as well. Lucy couldn't be sure when the switch occurred, either during the original escape or when the menacing trio had retrieved Maggie in an effort to coerce Alex into opening the med-bay doors.

In any case, Lillian had a serious head start and all their efforts thus far had yet to yield results. At least with Lena on their side, they could limit the woman's movements. The younger Luthor had frozen all her mother's accounts, transferred all the woman's assets and had her brother moved to a new location, ensuring he stayed imprisoned as he should be. It was only a matter of time before Lillian's luck ran out and when it did, Lucy swore she would be there.

"Lucy!" She turned her head to see Winn hurrying towards her with a wide smile. "You okay?" He asked her, taking in her weathered appearance.

"I'm fine, Schott. Five by five." She told him but she added. "I promise," when he seemed less than convinced.

"Good, that's good." He told her then seemed to remember why he'd flagged her down in the first place. "Oh, they're awake!"

Lucy stopped dead at his words. "Both of them?"

"Yeah." Winn couldn't contain his smile. "Yeah, they're gonna be okay." Lucy couldn't stop smiling as she hurried out of command towards the makeshift med-bay.

* * *

Alex was sitting up in bed watching her sister consume her twelfth pot sticker with envy, as she nursed her bowl of soup, when the door to her room burst open. Lucy stood in the entryway, tactical uniform filthy and hair unkempt, with a bright smile on her face.

She crossed the room quickly, throwing her arms around Alex, trying desperately not to grip her too tightly. "You're a damned fool, you know that?" she whispered against Alex's shoulder with tears in her eyes.

"So everyone keeps telling me." Alex responded, her voice muffled against Lucy's jacket. When the pair finally pulled apart, Alex smiled up at her friend softly. "Thanks, Luce...for everything."

The petite brunette just shook her head. "Don't thank me, Alex. You did all the hard work, I just swooped in and cleaned up the mess!"

"Yeah, you did." Alex agreed with a laugh. "Guess you're staying in shape out there in the desert?"

Lucy shrugged with a wide smile. "Not much else to do out there besides train and hang with Bruce."

"Bruce?"

"My bat!" Kara piped in from the other side of the bed. "He bit me like twice when I first started training at the DEO but then we became friends."

Lucy turned to face Kara then. " _You_...you scared the shit out of us." She told her before pulling her in to a hug so strong, Kara was sure she would have felt it even _with_ her powers. "But you were a damn cute kid."

"Oh, I know!" Kara chirped with a smile almost as bright as her usual one. "Maggie won't stop showing me pictures and videos."

"I'll have to make sure she sends me those." Lucy nudged her with a wink. "I'm just glad you're both gonna be okay."

"If we can survive two weeks with my mom..." Alex grumbled, causing both Lucy and Kara to laugh out loud.

"I think if we can survive a 'super-baby', you can do anything, Ally." They all turned to see Maggie and Lena standing in the doorway. "Mind if I have a word with my fiancée, Lane?"

"Not at all." Lucy backed away from the bed, hands held up in mock surrender. "I've gotta debrief in an hour and I could definitely use some freshening up. I'll check on you two later." She told the siblings with a wink as she disappeared into the hall.

Lena stepped in after Maggie, pushing a wheelchair. "I thought Kara could use some _real_ sunlight." She announced with a smile and Kara gladly accepted her offered help, settling easily into the chair with a blanket over her legs.

"Don't wait up." Kara joked as the pair exited the room, the door closing behind them.

"Everything okay?" Alex asked; noting the concerned look the other woman wore.

"Yeah. I, um, just got off the phone with my captain." Maggie began, sounding unsure. "You remember that proposal I worked on, the initiative for improving human and alien relations?"

Alex scoffed lightly. " _Of course,_ I remember. You had Kara proofread it like _fifteen times_ before you submitted it!"

Maggie held a hand over her chest in mock offense. "Well _excuse me_ for making Little Danvers earn all those pot stickers! She's eating us out of house and home..." The tiny detective grumbled defensively.

"Drama queen..."Alex teased with a sly smile.

" _Anyway_ ," Maggie rolled her eyes before coming to perch on the side of Alex's bed. "There were a few cities in the running for the pilot program and Metropolis got picked...and..."

"And what?"

"And they want me to go there and run it... _potentially_." Maggie rushed out in a single breath.

Alex sat staring at her, trying to process what she'd just heard. "Metropolis? And they want _you_ to run it?"

"I mean, yeah, but it's not set in stone yet." Maggie floundered; worried Alex was taking the news as badly as she had imagined she would. "They want me to come down for a week or two to help setup and then we would go from there. But if you're not okay with it, I'll just help them setup and come right back, okay?"

"No." Alex told her, staring Maggie straight in the eye. "It is definitely, _not_ okay."

"Ally..." Maggie began, tears forming in her eyes but Alex cut her off.

"It is not okay, _Maggie_ ," Alex began, gesturing emphatically with her one hand, "For you to pass up an opportunity that you worked your _ass off_ for just because you think I won't like it!"

"What?!"

"You are _going_ to Metropolis and you are gonna show those stuffed shirts why you are the best damn person for the job! And we will figure the rest out. But I'll be damned if I let you pass this up. Do I make myself clear?"

Maggie sat back, mouth agape, trying to process all that her fiancée had just said. Alex wanted her to go, was practically demanding it. She turned back to Alex again, realizing she hadn't answered the question.

"Yeah. Yeah, crystal clear."

"Good." Alex huffed before grabbing Maggie by the front of her shirt and pulling her into a heated, messy kiss! When the pair parted, the agent gazed up at her fiancée with adoring eyes. "Did I mention how proud I am of you?"

"No, no I don't think you did." Maggie teased with a relieved smile.

"Oh, in that case...Margaret Ellen Sawyer, I am so _very_ proud of you." Alex whispered, forehead pressed to the other woman's.

"Yeah?"

" _Yeah_."

* * *

It was the end of the week by the time Kara and Alex were released into Eliza's care and Maggie had made the five-hour trip down to Midvale with them. She stayed overnight with the trio, and then took the first flight out to Metropolis. There were still so many things for she and Alex to discuss, but both were secretly grateful for the time apart to think. Kara drifted in and out of consciousness for the first full day the siblings were in Midvale, barely waking long enough to bid the tiny detective farewell.

Alex made sure that the pullout bed in Eliza's living room fully faced the large bay window allowing the recovering super to soak up as much sunlight as she could. The agent had also forced her sibling to take an IV drip to reduce the effects of her several recent solar flares and reduce some of the pain and inflammation that went with aging two decades in a few hours. Sometimes Alex would lay with her sister as she too was recovering, her arm ever more painful since she had taken the re-gen meds in haste. More often than not, though, she would sit on the front porch, sipping hot chocolate from her "Best Sister In The Universe" mug and watch the waves come in, the happy couples strolling up and down the beach and the children building sandcastles. She wanted all of those things for herself but it seemed as if the universe deemed her only worthy of one.

It was an impossible choice.

Maggie, the love of her life, the person who made her _feel_ so much. Maggie who was real and beautiful, so beautiful.

Or her long-hoped for child.

The one she would teach about the stars and how to throw a punch. The child Eliza would dote upon and Kara would spoil; the one who could possibly make the "Badass Danvers" a trio. The child that would finally make J'onn the grandfather he deserved to be and Winn and James the cool uncles.

The child that would make Alex... _whole._

Or so she hoped...

Eliza watched over both her children with deep concern. Kara, always vibrating with energy, personality lighting up every room, now lying almost deathly still on the pullout couch. And Alex, who had changed so much in the past year, who had opened up and discovered so much of herself, now lost and unsure.

The younger Danvers would undoubtedly recover with time and rest but Alex...there seemed to be no easy way to cure what ailed her; broken hearts were not easily mended.

"Lexie?"

Alex glanced up as Kara unsteadily made her way out the screen door. She clamored to her feet, grabbing her sister by the elbow and leading her to settle beside her on the wooden steps.

"Thanks." Kara gave her a sheepish smile as Alex settled back beside her with a scowl.

"Kara, you should be resting." She informed her in her most authoritative "big sister" voice.

"You're not resting." Kara countered in a weak but defiant voice.

"I _was_..." Alex hedged, now feeling a little sheepish herself. "I just, um, needed some fresh air..."

"Me too!" Kara chirped, throwing an arm around her sister gently before laying her head on Alex's shoulder. She could feel how tense the older girl was and she knew dealing with a super-powered toddler had only proved to bring up unresolved issues between the agent and her partner.

"Kara," Alex sighed shallowly because deep breaths still sent shards of pain shooting through her arm. "You've been through a lot and I know how sore you must be. Please just let me take care of you."

"Lexie, that's all you've been doing for over a week! With a concussion and a broken arm no less. I think I can manage the trip from the couch to the porch on my own."

"Yes, but can you make it back?" Alex challenged, eyebrow raised as Kara gave her big sister her best puppy dog eyes.

"Probably..."

"You're impossible!" Alex replied with a smirk. "But I'm glad to have you back. I _really_ missed you." The agent admitted with tears in her eyes.

Kara smiled at her gently before pulling the older girl until her head lay against her little sister's chest, cheek pressed against a soft, worn in hoodie. The younger sibling ran her fingers softly through Alex's curls and waited for the girl to open up to her; all she needed was a little push.

"I heard you were _amazing_ with me." Kara told her with a warm smile. "I heard you made sure I was safe and happy, that I felt loved and protected. I also heard that you took re-gen meds you weren't even supposed to have, just so you could keep Lillian at bay."

Alex just sniffed and nodded against her. "I didn't do it alone..." she murmured against the soft fabric.

"I know. Lena told me that Lucy was a tiny badass and Maggie was like the best babysitter _ever_!" She exclaimed, hoping to get a smile out of Alex.

"Of course she was...it's _Maggie_."

"Yeah, she's pretty cool _, I guess_." Kara teased, pleased when she noted the corner of her sister's mouth quirk up. "I mean, when she's not mad at Supergirl, we get along pretty well!"

"That you do." Alex agreed quietly, not ready to address the proverbial elephant in the room.

"Are you guys okay?" Kara asked quietly, continuing to drag her fingers gently through her sister's hair. "I mean after everything with...?"

"I don't know.I'm so proud of what she's doing but...it changes things..." The older girl replied sounding tired and sad. Kara took that as her cue.

"C'mon let's go inside and rest some more. I'll even let you pick what we watch on Netflix?" This improved Alex's mood slightly.

"Promise? Even if it's a documentary?" She challenged as she sat up to face her sister.

Kara pulled a face but nodded sagely. "Yes, I promise. Though I don't know how learning helps you feel better..." She muttered as the pair shakily rose from the steps and stumbled inside.

* * *

Eliza finished dinner and headed to the living room to check on her daughters. She had tried not to hover too much knowing Alex in particular was feeling less than social. As she rounded the corner, the sight before her warmed her heart.

Kara was sitting up pillows stacked behind her head; mouth hung open in sleep, the TV on but unwatched. Across her lap lay a sleeping Alex, nose pressed against her sister's stomach, broken arm cradled between them, Kara's shirt fisted in her hand. Kara had the remote dangling from one hand, the other loosely tangled in her sister's hair.

Eliza quietly removed the remote and tucked the pair in gently, careful not to disturb them. As she rounded the couch, another smile graced her face when noticed a tuff of white fur poking out of the blankets. Peeking closer her smile grew ever wider. Alex had Ice Cream tucked under her cast, no doubt reveling in the familiarity the stuffed dog represented and soothing the loss of the "little Kara" they never thought they'd get a chance to know.

She adjusted the blankets one last time and slipped back into the kitchen to pack dinner away until later. Meat Loaf could wait. Right now, her girls had all they needed.


	17. You Have To Say It

**Author's Note: Hi Everybody! Sorry for the delay! This chapter was so hard for me to write but I hope it lives up to the hype. There will be an epilogue, so please let me know what you want to see in it.**

 **Kara and Alex finally return to National City with Eliza in tow just in time for Maggie's arrival from Metropolis. Did things go as well as the detective had hoped? And if they did, what does it mean for her relationship with Alex?**

* * *

Two weeks in Midvale flew by for the Danvers sisters, something Alex would never have thought possible. She missed Maggie every day but still felt grateful for the time apart to rest and reflect. Three days in, Lena had gotten so lonely without Kara in National City that the CEO had flown down to Midvale to help her best friend convalesce. Though still upset about the super's deception, she understood Kara's reasons and was simply happy to have the hero restored. Not one to be outdone, Lucy soon followed bearing gossip from Washington and a collection of recently seized alien firearms for the wounded agent to peruse. Sadly, the younger Lane had no new leads on the villainous Lillian but Alex appreciated her friend's efforts to cheer her up nonetheless.

Eliza was thrilled to have so many people bustling around the home and happily catered to her daughter's guests. Her mothering was to be short-lived as 48 hours after arrival, Lucy was called back to Washington by her overbearing father and Lena was summoned back to the city to finish brokering a deal at CatCo that her investors were refusing to trust James with.

The trio settled into a comfortable routine for their remaining time together. It would have seemed like any other visit from the siblings had it not been for the life-threatening injuries that had brought them home. Kara, though fully restored in age and appearance, had yet to regain her powers and spent most if her time lounging in the sun completely unable to cope with the residual aches and pains. She had begun to recall bits and pieces of her time as a toddler and with each new revelation her appreciation for her sister grew.

"Hey Lexie," She asked quietly one afternoon as the pair sat on the porch swing, watching the waves roll softly in. "I keep dreaming about everything that happened with 'little me' but I don't know if I'm remembering it right."

"What did you remember?" Alex asked with a hum, pulling Kara closer to her as a cool breeze rolled in.

"I remember you singing to me, taking bubble baths with me, showing me the stars..." Kara's brow furrowed as she tried to piece memories together. "Was any of that real?"

"Actually..." Alex turned to face her fully, cheeks burning with embarrassment. "All of it was. You were so small and scared, I just wanted to take care of you; to make sure you were happy."

"Do you miss her?"

"That's silly." Alex murmured, burying her face against Kara's shoulder. "You're right here."

"Yeah," Kara agreed, ducking her head to catch Alex's eye. "I'm right here, but it's not the same is it? It's okay, you know. To miss _her_. Even though everything about that time is pretty fuzzy, what's crystal clear is how much she loved you, Lexie."

At her sister's admission, Alex couldn't stop the tears from falling. Kara pulled her closer and stroked her back soothingly, whispering assurances. It hurt; it hurt so damn much. As irrational as it was, the elder sibling couldn't shake the feeling that she'd lost someone else that was dear to her. That she'd lost _her_ child.

Yes, Kara was right there, holding her and wiping her tears. But _her_ Kara, she was gone forever. Alex would never again feel those little arms wrapped around her neck, watch those big blue eyes grow wide with wonder as she showed her the stars, or feel the comforting weight of the little one resting so trustingly on her chest. She wanted that feeling again, more than anything.

"I'm actually a little jealous..." Kara whispered against her sister's hair. "She got to see the carefree side of you; the side that snuggles and reads stories in funny voices and talks about the stars."

"Hey!" Alex muttered in mock indignation. "We snuggle. We're doing it right now."

"You know what I mean, Alex." Kara sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at her sibling's insistence on avoiding her true feelings. "She just brought out a different side of you. I think it really agreed with you. Were you happy?"

Alex leaned further into her, misty eyes staring into the distance. "Yeah." She whispered finally. "Despite everything else that was going on...I really was."

Kara squeezed her sister tighter at the admission. Neither woman wanted to voice the unspoken truth that there might be a chance Alex wouldn't get to feel that happiness again.

* * *

The heavy smell of paint wafting through the air made Alex slightly nauseous as she limped through the front door of her apartment, Eliza following closely behind with the agents bags in tow. She had to admit; the DEO clean up crew had done a remarkable job putting the place back together. If she hadn't experienced the destruction first hand she wouldn't have known anything was amiss.

With a groan she sank down on her couch while Eliza bustled around the room, opening windows and fussing to no one in particular about how they could have at least aired out the apartment when they were done. Alex knew that the damage had been extensive, not just to her unit but the surrounding units as well. The damage from Kara's bathtub stunt alone had flooded most of the floor beneath them. Not to mention the bullet holes and explosions. She wasn't sure what J'onn had told the building manager but since she hadn't received any eviction notices, she guessed things were smoothed over. It probably didn't hurt that the DEO had paid for the majority of the buildings repairs.

"Alex?" She was shocked to realize her mother was kneeling in front of her. Judging from Eliza's worried expression, she must have called her daughter's name more than once. "You feeling alright, sweetie?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, mom, just tired." She assured her mother even as the older woman placed a gentle hand on her forehead checking for fever.

"Well, you don't seem warm. How's your stomach? Are you hungry?" Eliza asked as she rose and began draping a warm blanket over her daughter. "Is that breeze too cold?"

"Mom!" Alex called, reaching out to grab her mother's wrist. "Seriously, I'm okay. Just tired from the ride."

Eliza nodded and patted her daughter's hand before gripping it tightly. In all seriousness her mother had reason to worry. Though Alex was on the road to recovery it had not been without it's bumps, especially when it came to her immune system. The agent had run several dangerously high fevers in the past few weeks as well as suffering near constant nausea. Alex had lost a noticeable amount of weight because of it and no one knew how long the side effects would last. At least her halo of wires had been reduced to a more manageable carbon fiber cast but the good news stopped there.

"Are you sure?" Eliza pressed, attention torn between Alex and the door. She was supposed to be heading to the DEO to run tests on Kara who was finally getting her powers back but now, looking at her injured child, she was reluctant to go.

"I'm sure, Mom." Alex assured her with a small smile. She needed to check in with Hamilton as well but everyone thought it best she rest from the trip first. "I'm probably just gonna stay here and nap until you and Kara come back. Then maybe I can go with you to get Maggie from the airport later."

"You're sure you're not hungry?"

Alex shook her head, then immediately regretted it. "I don't think I could stomach anything right now."

"Okay...if you're sure..."

Eliza finally agreed to go but insisted on leaving Alex a water bottle and some crackers in case she wanted to try and eat a little something while she was gone. With one last lingering kiss to her daughter's forehead, Eliza was out the door on her way to see about her other child. With all the stress her girls put her through, Eliza was surprised every time her blood pressure didn't shoot through the roof.

As soon as her mother was gone, Alex clumsily rose from the couch and began to explore her renovated apartment. Every frame had been replaced, every throw pillow duplicated. It all looked exactly as she and Maggie had left it; except it _wasn't_. Cadmus had come into their home; the one place Alex had managed to keep safe from them had been defiled. She continued searching around for anything amiss when it struck her.

All of Little Kara's things were gone!

Alex frantically stumbled to the coat closet, flinging it open only to find a dizzying array of leather jackets. No high chair, no tiny pajamas or wooden blocks. She slammed the door shut in frustration and traversed the stairs to her bedroom unsteadily. She couldn't be gone! Those toys and clothes were all she had left of her little girl. Spinning in a circle to survey the area once more she nearly fainted with relief when she noticed a stack of containers in the corner of the room labeled "Little Danvers".

 _Maggie_ , she realized with a rush of gratitude.

Her fiancée would have known she'd be unable to let Little Kara's things go; knew how deeply she had felt the loss. With a shaking hand she removed the lid off the container closest to her. In it were an adorable variety of little clothes, almost all boasting the crest of the House of El. She lifted one tiny onesie to her face, reveling in the softness and the child's smell still clinging to it. The first sob tore from her unexpectedly and she couldn't be bothered to try and stop the rest.

Alex collapsed to her knees, the tiny shirt quickly becoming soaked with the torrent of tears she was unable to contain. Leaning back against her bed, she continued to let the tears flow from her until she eventually cried herself to sleep, the tiny shirt still clutched in her fist.

* * *

"Oh, baby." A soft voice pulled Alex from her sorrow-induced slumber, a warm palm cupping her cheek ever so lovingly.

"Mags?" She whispered, puffy eyes still closed.

"Yeah, yeah baby it's me." Maggie replied, a smile in her voice. Alex didn't fight her as the tiny detective laid her head gently in her lap, fingers weaving through her hair. "Can you open your eyes for me?"

Alex snuggled a bit deeper into Maggie's lap but managed to eventually pry her sticky lashes apart. Maggie's heart nearly broke at the sight of her mate's red-rimmed eyes.

"Hey." She whispered, trying to keep her voice from breaking. "There you are. I missed you so much."

"I missed you too..."Alex managed to croak, her throat still painfully dry.

"I'm not the only one you were missing, am I?" Maggie asked softly as she gently tugged on the tiny shirt still clutched in her fiancée's fist. Instead of waiting for a response, she sat Alex up and pulled her to her feet. "Come on let's get on the bed. Your floor is harder than it looks!" She joked lightly.

Once the pair was tucked in, Maggie rolled onto her side pulling Alex flush against her. She could feel Alex relax into the embrace but was shocked by the frail state of the woman she knew so well. Eliza had mentioned her daughter's weight loss but Maggie was still unnerved to feel the bones pressing against her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked when the silence had grown thick.

"No." Alex mumbled against her shirt. "I want to think about good things for awhile. How was Metropolis?"

"Honestly," Maggie replied with a happy sigh. "It was great, baby! It all went so good. This program is gonna do so many great things for the alien community out there."

"That's amazing." Alex told her with a slightly sad but sincere smile as she tilted her head back to look Maggie in the eye. "I knew you would could do it."

"Yeah well _somebody_ demanded I go out there and make them proud, so the pressure was definitely on!" The tiny detective replied with a smile and a quick kiss.

Alex hummed as she snuggled deeper against the other woman. " _Someone_ has to make sure you don't get in your own way. When do you have to go back?"

Maggie cleared her throat uncomfortably. "I have a few weeks to get things in order here...turn over my cases and stuff like that..."

"Maggie." Alex sighed as she sat up to face the other woman. "We're going to have to figure this out eventually, so it may as well be now."

"I know, I know. It's just that...yeah, things are going well down there but it's gonna be a long time until it's up and running."

Alex threaded her fingers with Maggie's as she leaned back against the headboard, trying to find the courage to have this conversation.

"I understand that." The agent told her, eyes filled with love and acceptance. "That's why I wanted you to go in the first place. There is no one that cares more about bridging the gaps between communities than you. It's the reason you became a cop. And you are amazing at your job as a result. Your passion is what this program needs to succeed. I love you too much to ask you to stay here when you're needed there."

"You're really something, Danvers." Maggie replied with a small smile.

"I do my best..."

"Ally, I appreciate what you're trying to do here but I made a commitment to you too. And right now, you need me as much as they do."

"I'll be fine."

"Will you?" Maggie demanded, voice cracking with worry. "You've got a broken arm, you're still sick from the re-gen meds, you're losing weight, not to mention," she motioned to the crumpled onesie laying on the bed. "How can I run back to Metropolis to help people I don't even know when the woman I love needs me?"

Alex tucked a piece of hair gently behind Maggie's ear, touched by the woman's concern. "Babe, I fight aliens for a living and my sister has super powers, you don't need to worry about me. I know I'm not great at admitting I need help or dealing with my feelings but...I could never forgive myself if you passed up this incredible opportunity for me and a kid we may not ever have."

"What are you saying, Alex?" the detective asked, tears gathering in her eyes. Alex thumbed them away with a gentle smile.

"I'm saying you need to go to Metropolis and make the difference I know you can. I want you, Maggie. I will _always_ want you. But I won't stand in the way of you doing something so important."

"You do important work too, Ally. And I know Kara needs you here. Winn, James, J'onn, hell even Little Luthor!" Maggie gave a small, sad laugh as she turned to kiss Alex's palm gently. "I just...I want _this_ but I want you too."

"I know but this isn't goodbye, Mags. No matter where you go or how long we're apart, I will _never_ stop loving you, Maggie Sawyer. Our story doesn't end here..." Maggie gasped causing Alex to raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's nothing bad, just, J'onn said that same thing to me... _about us_..." She explained hastily causing Alex to smile a little wider.

"Well he does have a bit more experience than us..."She replied wryly. "But I believe it too, Maggie. This isn't the end of our story. I won't let it be."

"Me either." Maggie replied, kissing Alex with determination. "I love you Alex Danvers."

"And I love you Maggie Sawyer... _forever_."

* * *

Alex woke sometime later that night a sad smile on her lips as she watched Maggie sleep across from her. It was bittersweet. On the one hand she was so proud of her love and the work she was doing. But that same thing that made Maggie so incredible was also pulling her further away.

With a sigh, Alex got up and padded quietly into the kitchen. While she still didn't have much of an appetite, she was feeling slightly hungry. Thankfully, Eliza and Kara had been kind enough to leave the couple dinner. She didn't notice the figure on the counter until she flicked on the small kitchen light.

There, dressed in a tiny red cape sat Ice Cream in all his fluffy glory. Next to the stuffed animal was a small card. Alex recognized her name in Kara's fancy script. She opened the card and immediately began to cry.

It read: _"I know it's not the same but...hopefully, for now, it's enough. Love you to the moon and back, Kara."_

Alex clutched the animal tightly to her chest as she glanced over at Maggie still fast asleep. It wasn't the same but for now, it would have to be enough


	18. Epilogue: Six months and counting

**Author's Note:** Guys, this is the last chapter of "Hit Me Baby..." and I hope it lives up to the hype! All of your comments and support have been appreciated and I can't wait to share with you all what I have planned next!

* * *

 **Six months after Maggie's move to Metropolis, Alex is beginning to feel the strain of their separation. Will Maggie give up her dream and return to National City or will Alex be stuck second-guessing her decision to send her love away?**

* * *

National City International Airport was always buzzing with activity yet it had rarely seen a send off like todays. It was the day all the 'Super-friends' had been dreading: Maggie's inevitable departure to Metropolis. The six weeks the Metropolis PD had given the detective to settle her affairs had gone by far too quickly and none of them wanted to admit this might actually be goodbye for quite some time. Eliza had been unable to make it down from Midvale but had Skyped with her newest adopted child tearfully for nearly two hours the night before. While Maggie maintained her composure throughout the call, she sobbed like a baby once it was over. She couldn't believe how nice it felt to have a mom again, if only for a little while.

Or a family for that matter.

Alex had given her these things and no matter what their future held she would forever be grateful. Maggie hadn't really expected _everyone_ to come say goodbye but she was deeply touched they had. Each member of her family took their turn saying their goodbyes, much to the other passenger's dismay. Even the enigmatic Lucy Lane had sent her a text about how thrilled she was to have someone "fun" to stay with when she came to Metropolis. Apparently, Lois and "Super-stiff" as Lucy called him, were less than enjoyable hosts.

Up first to bid farewell was her little brother, Winn.

"You're a good egg Sawyer." He told her with a sad smile before handing her a small device. "It's a modified fire-stick. I loaded it with all the movies we've watched together so that even if you're in Metropolis, you'll still be part of 'Movie Night'. Take care of yourself."

With a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek, he stepped back to allow for the next goodbye. James smiled down at her, his dimples nearly impressive as her own. He too came bearing gifts, handing her a beautiful frame. In it was a picture of all the 'Super-friends' lounging on the beach, each looking happy and relaxed. James had taken it just a few weeks before when they had all gone to Eliza's for the weekend. She smiled remembering that James had barely made it into the picture before the timer had gone off.

"James..." She began, willing her emotions not to betray her but he shook his head, wrapping her in his big arms instead.

"Don't start." He chastised her quietly. "There's a reason I take pictures...I'm not so great with words but just know, you'll always have family here, okay?" She nodded shakily when he released her, a single tear escaping as he bent and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Next came Kara, lower lip wobbling dangerously, she pulled Maggie into a near-painful hug! "Thank you." She whispered so only Maggie could hear. "For taking care of Alex when I couldn't; for helping her become her true self and for adopting a goofy alien as your little sister, even though I break things sometimes."

"Dammit, Little Danvers," Maggie muttered, turning her face into Kara's shoulder. "I was trying not to cry!"

Kara gave a wet laugh before pushing Maggie away and holding her at arm's length. "Try to stay out of trouble." She chastised lovingly before taking off her necklace and offering it to Maggie. "But in case you can't..."

Kara quickly looped the necklace over Maggie's head as she ducked to inspect it. The chain and pendant were almost identical to the one Kara wore but on the back of the pendant, the crest of the House of El was engraved.

"It's a beacon. All you have to do is squeeze it and I'll come." Kara explained with a soft smile. "I know you'll be out there with Kal but everyone knows I'm faster...and _stronger_." She finished with a conspiratory whisper.

As Kara backed up, Lena rushed forward and wrapped Maggie in the most tender hug the detective could ever remember receiving. The younger Luthor gave Maggie a sad smile before retreating to where Kara was standing, eyes wide and tearful, unable to put her sadness into words. Maggie guessed that Lena had helped with the design of her beacon and she gave the younger woman a tearful smile in return. It was hard to believe the woman she'd arrested last year had become a part of her little rag-tag family.

"Maggie." J'onn's deep baritone pulled the detective out of her reverie. "I never thought I'd have more children after I lost my girls but here I am...bursting with pride _and_ sadness as I see my newest _daughter_ off. I could never have asked for more in a child Maggie, nor could I be more proud. Thank you for loving both sides of this family, human..." he leaned in with a small smirk, eyes glowing red. "And _otherwise_."

He gripped Maggie tightly in his arms and whispered, "M'gann sends her love and don't forget, Kara's not the only one who can fly." With a wink he stepped back, leading the 'Super-friends' away so Maggie could say her last and most painful goodbye.

Alex stood before her, staring at her boots as she tried to compose herself. Maggie took a moment to take in her love. She was as beautiful as the day they'd met on that tarmac; though now she wore her customary leather jacket and jeans instead of the tailored suit that always drove Maggie crazy. The agent was almost fully recovered from her run-in with the K'hund and the detrimental effects of the re-gen meds save for the black brace still gracing her left arm. Not even a week after Maggie had returned from Metropolis the first time, Alex had grown frustrated with her slow recovery and single-handedly synthesized an enzyme that could counteract the re-gen meds ill effects.

It wasn't really a surprise, not to Maggie. If there was one thing Alex Danvers _couldn't_ do, it was to remain idle. She knew the agent hated being sidelined but she also knew that Alex didn't want to waste their last few weeks together languishing in bed, unable to care for herself. Instead, the pair had shared laughter and love, taken long rides on their bikes, enjoyed lazy weekends in bed, and visited their favorite spots around National City. Alex had helped her pack her things for the move and it had gone surprisingly well, with only a minimum amount of tears. Maggie thought it appropriate, as there would surely be more than enough tears today.

"Hey Danvers." She whispered, gently tapping Alex's chin to get the other woman to look up. When Alex met her eyes, she smiled sadly. "This isn't goodbye, it could never be goodbye. You mean the world to me and I will _always_ come back to you."

"Doesn't make it hurt less." Alex huffed out, sounding petulant and a little childish which got a sad chuckle out of Maggie.

"I know, babe, believe me I know." She sighed, leaning their foreheads together, fingers tangled with Alex's gently caressing the Velcro of her brace, both preparing themselves for the inevitable.

"I want _you,_ Maggie and the _only_ way I want a family is if you're a part of it. I just need you to know that before you go. You're _enough_ Maggie, more than. You're _it_ for me Sawyer, and don't you forget it." Alex told her with a bit of a growl at the end that always gave Maggie butterflies.

"I love you Alex Danvers and don't you forget it." She replied, pulling Alex down to her for a soft kiss. When they parted she cupped Alex's face lovingly. "And try not to destroy my bike while I'm gone!"

"Oh, please!" Alex scoffed. "I ride that bike better than you _ever_ did."

"You got me there..." Maggie agreed, stopping mid-sentence when she heard the stewardess announce the final boarding call. "Guess that's me... Just remember that I love you, Alex."

"You too, Maggie. _Forever_."

The pair shared another soft, tearful kiss that was over all too soon.

With a sad smile, Maggie turned and picked up her bag, willing herself to keep walking even as every step wrenched her heart in two. Alex watched her go, rooted to the spot, realizing suddenly that Maggie had pressed something into her hand. She opened it slowly and her tears ran anew. In her palm sat Maggie's engagement ring, the inscription mocking her.

 _Ride or Die_ , it stated.

She raised her head to see Maggie disappear through the door leading to her flight. The detective flashed her one last watery smile.

"See you around, Sawyer." She whispered because it was too hard to say goodbye.

* * *

It had been six months since Maggie left for Metropolis.

Six moths, four days, seventeen hours and thirty-two minutes...but it wasn't like Alex was counting. It was more like lingering anticipation, that feeling you got as a child when you knew something amazing was just around the corner but the wait was interminable.

Except she had no idea when she would finally get her reward, when Maggie would finally return.

The inclusion program Maggie had originally proposed had been established and so well received, it was currently being expanded, which meant the petite detective wouldn't be coming back to National City anytime soon. While Maggie's career was soaring, her relationship with Alex was beginning to stall. There was only so much weekend trips and Skype could do to keep the home fires roaring. Alex hated that she was feeling so unsatisfied when it was she who had encouraged Maggie to go.

"You did what was best for her, Alex." Kara had reassured her at their third "Sister's Night" that week. Without Maggie it seemed her social calendar was not nearly as full as she'd once believed.

"I know that, Kar. But what if isn't what's best for _me_? I feel like my life was moving forward and suddenly, everything just... _stopped_." She sighed into the couch cushions, voice muffled. The younger Danvers wore an amused smile as she rubbed her siblings back in consolation; while Alex remained slumped face first on the couch, posture awash in resignation.

The engagement was currently off, Alex had both rings in her gun safe; with no engagement there were clearly no wedding plans and the agent felt uneasy as to where she and Maggie currently stood. "Girlfriends" seemed inadequate given their proposal, the fact that they'd shared a home and had once planned to build a life together; yet it still felt better than the bleak alternative that maybe, the pair were now truly nothing at all.

Sleep eluded Alex that night even with the reassuring presence of Ice Cream; her bed felt cavernous, as it had nearly every night since half her heart had relocated to Metropolis.

* * *

The next day Alex sat in her lab, morosely sipping her fifth cup of coffee, though she had only been on site for a couple of hours. Her head was pounding from the lack of sleep and J'onn had been giving her concerned looks each time he passed the lab, no doubt reading more than her dour mood.

A quiet knock on the glass surrounding her lab and a tentative "Danvers?" snapped the agent out of her brooding.

"Whatever you want, I'm busy." Alex growled without so much as a sideways glance in the speaker's direction.

"What if all I _want_ is _you_?" The voice asked, nearly too soft to hear.

Alex sat up straight at that. It _couldn't_ be. No, her exhaustion was definitely taking its toll. There was no way in hell this could be real. _Yet_...part of her still ached; hoped that if she spun around, her love would be there, wearing that beat up leather jacket and lopsided smile. With shaking hands, she sat the Styrofoam cup on her desk and turned slowly in her seat.

"Ma-mags?" She stuttered as she took in the sight before her. "You...you're really here?"

Maggie cocked her head to the side, dimples barely peeking through. "Normally, I'd say something cocky...but yeah, Ally, it's me babe." She stepped cautiously into the room kneeling before Alex, concern written largely on her face.

Alex still couldn't believe her eyes but if this was a dream, she intended to take full advantage. She surged forward and kissed Maggie with all the love and longing she had built up over the past months surprised and delighted when Maggie tasted exactly as she remembered; even more delighted when the mouth moved against hers, seeming as desperate to reconnect as she was. Eventually the need for air became insistent and Alex pulled back reluctantly to find Maggie regarding her with a dazzling smile.

"How are you here? Did Kara...?" Alex could barely string her thoughts together, mind and mouth still buzzing from that kiss. Maggie laughed lightly as she reached up to cup Alex's cheek.

"No. Little Danvers is fast and all but there's no place to put my luggage!"

"Luggage?" Alex hoped that meant what she thought it did...

"Yeah, luggage. As in my stuff, that I'm hoping you let me move back into _our_ apartment. You know the one; oversized bed, zero privacy." Alex couldn't help but laugh at that. She leaned forward to kiss Maggie again when a sudden realization had her pulling up short!

"What about the program?" She asked, eyes wide with worry. "You were doing such great things and they're expanding! They can't do it without you!" Maggie brought her other hand up to cradle Alex's face between her hands, trying to still her panic.

"Hey Ally, baby, hey! It's okay. I mean, yeah I helped get the program up and running but I met some great people in Metropolis, both in the community and on the force. They were ready for change and I just gave them the tools to make it happen. So yeah, it got expanded but they don't need me and I was needed somewhere more important."

"Here?" Alex asked with a slight tremble in her voice. Maggie smiled wide and bright as she leaned forward and kissed her gently.

"Yeah, baby, _here_." The petite brunette confirmed, dimples on full display.

"Rao, I missed you so much." Alex whispered, unable to stop touching Maggie.

"Me, too." Maggie sighed before leaning back. "I loved everything I was doing in Metropolis but there was always something missing. Every night that I came home to that empty apartment and ordered takeout for one, I knew that wasn't where I was meant to be. Maybe a few years ago, it would have been enough but now, I know no success is worth it if I can't share it with you. I'd rather slum it forever in the NCPD just to be near you than be the next big thing in Metropolis."

"Slum it with the NCPD?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow. "Maggie Sawyer, I know for a _fact_ that no matter where you are, your talents will _always_ shine through. I roomed with a girl who can touch the stars, I think I know a thing or two about greatness."

"Oh yeah?" Maggie challenged with her own raised eyebrow.

"Yeah." Alex agreed, stealing another quick kiss, threading their fingers together. It was then she noticed the cold metal on Maggie's left hand. Maggie followed her gaze then dug into her coat pocket.

"I almost forgot..." She muttered. "I was gonna wait for you to come home tonight but..." She opened her palm to reveal Alex's ring. "I was hoping you might still wanna marry me, too?"

"No." Alex told her as she slid off her chair to kneel on the floor before Maggie. "I don't _still_ want to marry you. I never stopped wanting to marry you. I told you before, you're _it_ for me Sawyer."

"A lifetime of firsts." Maggie said as she slipped the ring back into its rightful place. "I wanna have them all with you Alex; and with Kara, and the crazy Super-friends and one day even our little Baby Danvers!"

"Baby Danvers?" Alex squeaked in surprise.

"Well we can't call 'em Baby Sawyers!" Maggie retorted, snorting loudly! "I'll be damned if I hang that name on any kid of mine, of _ours_. Nope, they gotta be Danvers and that's final."

"Mags? Are you sure?" Alex searched Maggie's face for any sign of uncertainty and found none. It seemed as if this is what the other woman truly wanted.

"Never been more sure in my life, Danvers." Maggie assured her as she pulled Alex to her feet. "If you want a family, that's what we'll have, because I am never letting you go. You're it for me too, Danvers. I'm not going anywhere."

Alex could only nod happily through her tears before pulling Maggie into a searing kiss. It was so much like the one they'd shared in Alex's apartment that very first night. But where that kiss was filled with lust and uncertainty, this kiss was full of purpose and commitment. A shout from the hall startled the pair apart and they turned to see Kara standing just outside the lab cheering wildly.

"Winn!" She shouted towards the command center. "We're getting married!"

The accompanying shout of "Hell yeah! Sanvers forever!" was equally ridiculous but brought a goofy smile to both women's faces.

Alex glanced down at Maggie's smiling face, dimples impossibly deep and thought to herself, _Yeah. I could definitely get used to forever_.


End file.
